The Technology Machine: How Manufacturing Will Work in the Year 2020 (Paperback)

~ (Author), Richard E. Morley (Author) "When Francis Cabot Lowell, through a supreme act of industrial espionage, memorized the guts of the English power loom systems he had seen in 1811..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Manufacturing in the year 2020 will look very different from today's--in fact, in some innovative companies, it will be downright utopian. That's the thesis that Richard Morley, who invented the Programmable Logic Controller back in 1968 and now works for a techno-guru venture-capital firm called the Barn, and co-wonk Patricia Moody put forward in The Technology Machine. Much has changed in the past 30 years--technology, management theories, manufacturing processes--and anyone who hasn't been confused by these changes hasn't been paying attention. But Morley and Moody think the upheavals will have run their course four or five years into the new millennium, and after that there will be more easily graspable standards of excellence in business in general and manufacturing in particular.

The authors see 2020 manufacturing as producing products almost as quickly as a customer can imagine them, with money changing hands just as quickly. Masters of this universe--what the authors dub the Technology Machine--will be the knowledge worker, the man or woman who can perform many functions, who knows enough about multiple areas of the business to be able to cross back and forth between what used to be rigid interdepartmental barriers. Will everyone be a knowledge worker, and will every business run this smoothly? No, the authors don't see that at all. They still see a world with clear winners and losers, but one in which the former will spend less time enjoying the cozy confines of the winner's circle and more time figuring out ways to get in, or back in. It's an exciting world they lay out; and if all goes according to their vision, 2020 will be a fascinating year to be alive. --Lou Schuler --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

With the burgeoning of the so-called knowledge industry and an ever expanding service economy, little attention has been paid to the future of manufacturing. Moody and Morley, however, are well qualified to offer their views. She is a consultant and the author of Leading Manufacturing Excellence: A Guide to State-of-the-Art Manufacturing (1997) and Breakthrough Partnering: Creating a Collective Enterprise Advantage (1993). He has earned 24 patents, had his hand in starting more than 20 companies, and invented the programmable logic controller--a device that has already changed the face of manufacturing. They suggest that future manufacturing will not be done in factories; products will be made in replication centers. Moody and Morley enthusiastically proclaim the ways in which technology will change manufacturing. They list 127 "wild cards," or technology innovations. They explain how a programmable logic controller works. They describe four breakthrough software "meta-systems," or "big waves." And they show how complexity theory and intelligent systems have already been used for manufacturing applications at a variety of companies. David Rouse --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (September 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416576487
• ISBN-13: 978-1416576488
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,629,000 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed With Knowledge!, March 16, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Technology Machine : How Manufacturing Will Work in the Year 2020 (Hardcover)

Patricia A. Moody and Richard E. Morley take a fascinating trip into the future, the not-too distant future, by exploring what manufacturing and product delivery to consumers will look like in the year 2020. By discussing past and current advances, the authors articulately present convincing arguments for their ideas with great zest. Don't worry, you won't find impenetrable technological prose here, quite the contrary. Instead, you'll find visions of point-of-consumption manufacturing, small work groups made up of people who live near their job sites and biotechnology that enables customized creation of replacement body parts. Gene Bylinsky of Fortune magazine calls this well-received volume, "a beautifully written, insightful and important new book... your best guide to success" in the 21st century. We at getAbstract recommend this book to forward-looking managers who understand that, even in the complex future, the main rule will be: Keep it simple.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than forecast, it's a roadmap to the 21st century, June 7, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Moline IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Technology Machine : How Manufacturing Will Work in the Year 2020 (Hardcover)

The Technology Machine is more than forecast; it is a roadmap to 21st century manufacturing practice. Grounded in a traditional industrial work ethic and motivated by the maverick career of inventor and entrepreneur Dick Morley, the authors paint a powerful picture of 21st century manufacturing practice. The achievements of individuals whose "smartness, values, supreme technical mastery, and constant innovation" foretell a new era of manufacturing while telling a compelling story. Bill Fulkerson, Technical Consultant, Deere & Company

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rantings about emergent behavior software agents, April 20, 2000

By	Robert Fately "f8lee" (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Technology Machine : How Manufacturing Will Work in the Year 2020 (Hardcover)

It took me a while, but I just finished The Technology Machine by Moody and Morley, and I'm sad to say that it is a poor vehicle to spread their valuable message to the world of manufacturing. Let me say at the outset that I am not an engineer, but I'm no dummy, either. I bought the book based on an intriguing review in upside (or Red Herring - one of those tech magazines).

The Good News: Some good points are made in the book about the power of approaching complex logistical production problems with the use of properly designed software "agents", each one of which having the "intelligence of a chicken" but en masse creating an environment where behavior capable of handling complex issues efficiently emerges. A powerful idea, to be sure.

The Bad news: The message gets lost in the noise of a very poorly written book - the conversational style used is way too casual for a subject this serious. It's as if this were published by a vanity press - was there no editor? Typos abound (mislabeling GM Paint Shop as GE Paint Shop on page 225, or "...president of Nypro Corporate Inc. of Nypro, a company..." - page 237 are but two examples) and the grammer is atrocious - like the rantings of an angry curmudgeon. There is way too much "consultant-speak" in the beginning of the book, and towards the end it seems to lose focus. As a result, the strength of the message is quite diluted.

I have no doubt that the authors are very smart people and that they have contributed immensely to the world of manufacturing, but in my opinion this book does them a disservice and much of the value of their message is lost.