What impact did the internet have on the engineering industry? Were there any problems integrating?
This is Uni work and I’m just trying to gather up as much info as I can from as many different sources and some of you guys may have been around when the internet was just introduced so maybe you could just give me any info you feel fits.
E.g what problems were there, technophobes, extra training required, pessimists, adding new technology as i understand to an old industry would never be easy as I know many people I’ve met stick to the ‘if its not broke dont fix it’ philosophy.
Also what are the major benefits to having such a huge advance in communications etc
I see three major impacts:
1. Faster and better communication made outsourcing overseas easier. This impacted the number of engineering jobs that could be done in India and China
2. Online databases of supplies and suppliers made purchasing and sourcing parts and products easier, resulting in faster time to market and more transparent pricing
3. Faster collaboration, even through email, allowed for better communication from engineering to plant floor resulting in better quality products.
And yes, there were lots of problems integrating. The pace of adoption was slow compared to some industries, but fast in an absolute sense, which led to lots of challenges.
