An AHP‐based approach for the selection of HFMS: an Indian perspective

To meet the challenges imposed by today's dynamic market conditions, it is the right time for the manufacturing companies to transit from traditional manufacturing system to advance manufacturing system such as computer numerical control (CNC), flexible manufacturing system (FMS) and computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems. CNC, FMS and CIM are very well‐known terms in the manufacturing world. Developed countries have adopted and used all these manufacturing systems in their industries. Developing countries like India have used CNC technology in their plants but are reluctant to opt for the next phase of advance manufacturing system, i.e. FMS or CIM due to their high cost and heavy risk associated with them. Hence, a new manufacturing system, i.e. humanised FMS suitable to Indian industrial and social environment has been proposed in this paper. Analytic hierarchy process methodology has been utilised for the justification of this new manufacturing concept.