INTEGRATED CAD/CAM: THE GENERAL MOTORS APPROACH.

General Motors' integrated CAD/CAM (computer aided design/manufacturing) architecture and philosophy are driven by natural environmental forces. While most of these are internal, and largely controllable, some are external and less subject to control. Too many firms feel that they are technology driven or pulled, depending on their stage of development. They believe that they have to order whatever is new and promising, and GM is not immune to some of this same mindset. When looking more closely at the corporate infrastructure, however, it is not only possible, but also mandatory that this situation be avoided. Any cost-effective plan for expanding GM's CAD/CAM program is constrained to recognize current investment, both retraining costs and capital equipment. GM is now more than a year into a five-year integrated CAD/CAM development program. Four strategic decisions are detailed which guide development efforts.