Document(s) 8 of 17

The relative impact of ITs can be assessed using the following 24 potential benefits, mainly derived from the work of Miller and Roth (1988). The benefits can be measured using seven-point Likert scales. These measures have been extensively tested in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (Lefebvre et al. 1995).

• Space reduction;
• Reduction in inventory levels;
• Increased use of machinery and equipment;
• Reduction in capital investment (for example, equipment, machinery);
• Increase in productivity of production employees;
• Increase in productivity of nonproduction employees;
• Decrease in set-up time;
• Reduction in rate of rejected items;
• Decrease in rate of production of defective items;
• Increase in flexibility of manufacturing process;
• Reduction in lead time;
• Reduction of managerial controls;
• Improvement of working conditions;
• Improvement of the firm's image in the market;
• Increase in number of customized products offered;
• Increase in variety of products offered;
• Increase in number of new products offered;
• Increase in the durability of products offered;
• Increase in the reliability of products offered;
• Decrease in the number of complaints by clients;
• Decrease in the number of repairs on products sold;
• Decrease in production costs (manufacturing);
• Decrease in cost of products; and
• Ability to meet deadlines.

Document(s) 8 of 17