APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR AUTOMATED PRODUCTION IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were 1) to investigate important levels of applying automated production systems in small and medium enterprises and               2) to develop a structural equation model of applying automated production systems in small and medium enterprises. This study employed mixed methodology research. The qualitative data was derived from a structured interview with                            9 resource development specialists. The quantitative data from the sample group is collected using a questionnaire survey with 500 samples of business owners or executives in small and medium-size industrial businesses. The data was analyzed in frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and structural equation model. The results revealed that 1) the important level of the application guidelines for applying automated production systems in small and medium enterprises in overview was high. In terms of considering each part which are employee centricity, internal cost, innovation technology, and collaboration, the important level was at the high level in all 4 parts. 2) the analysis result of the structural equation model had passed the assessment criteria in concordance with the empirical data. It can conclude that 2.1) collaboration directly statistically significant influence on employee centricity and internal cost at the level of 0.001, and innovation technology at statistically significant at the level of 0.01, 2) employee centricity directly statistically significant influence on innovation technology at the level of 0.001, and 3) innovation technology now statistically significant influence on internal cost at the level of 0.05. Therefore, it shows that the guidelines for applying automated production systems are consistent with empirical data.