Manufacturing technology impact on environmental factors and manufacturing performance

The purpose of this study is to study the impact of manufacturing technology in facilitating
lean manufacturers in achieving superior manufacturing performance while operating with by various
challenges from external environment. The paper is based on a survey research done on lean
manufacturers in Malaysia and their adoption of manufacturing technology to couple the
implemented lean system in mitigating challenges. The challenges faced by lean manufacturing firms
in many developing countries includes adopting the right technology, using it efficiently and
continuously reviewing production technology in order to gain maximum output. Model from this
empirical study is expected to contribute towards the enhancement of theory on contingency and its
effect on performance. At theoretical level, the study results showed that of manufacturing
technology mediate the relationship between environmental factors and performance of lean
manufacturers.