An Approach to Evaluating Alternative Production Systems and Subsystems.

The rapid rate of technological change forces both line and staff personnel to improve the traditional approach to production systems planning. This paper describes some of the problems that now confront the newspaper industry in coping with technological change. One chain of newspapers has found it necessary to re-think its approach to the evaluation of new equipment and systems of which the equipment is a part. This approach is based on the assumption that alternatives can best be evaluated by the establishment of sound criteria for measurement and a rational methodology. The paper discusses the specific criteria that have been identified by the newspaper chain and the methodology that is now used. It illustrates how the application of this approach has led to the breaking of new ground in the design of the new Sacramento Union production system.