| Summary: | 碩士 === 長庚大學 === 企業管理研究所 === 94 === Abstract
It was said that the manufacturing industry is the engine that pulls the rest of the economy. Foundry Industry is one of the oldest and important manufacturing industries in the world. Metal parts (Ferro or non-Ferro) produced by foundries supply the manufacturing industry and about 90% of manufactured products comprise one or more metal parts.
Since foundry industry is so important to our economy, this research focus on SWOT analysis of iron foundries in Taiwan, the US, Japan, and China in Political (Policy), Economic, Social and Technology (hereafter refer as PEST) perspectives. The reason that this research focus on these 4 countries is because that, according to ITP Metal Casting FY2004 Annual Report, the total production volume of metal casting (both Ferro and non-Ferro) from these 4 countries took more than 50% of total production volume world wide in year 2002.
Based on the finding from the literature review, this research starts with the analysis on the iron foundries in these 4 countries by adopting popular strategic analysis tool of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis in PEST perspectives. Then, follow with questionnaires to the foundry experts in these 4 countries. Through the profound survey with foundry experts, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats outlined from SWOT analysis are able to be confirmed by these experts. After the questionnaires survey and the collected data analyzed, we apply Weihrich’s TOWS matrix to formulate strategies on iron foundry industry in these countries respectively and finally, we render the research result to the iron foundry industry in different country for reference. This study tries to contribute to iron foundry industries in Taiwan, the US, Japan and China for sustaining development while encountering next phase of drastic competition.
The study finds that one of the common threats that iron foundry industry in these 4 countries is to retain of tacit foundry knowledge which is possessed by the skilled workers. The tacit knowledge will never be property of the foundries again when the skilled workers retire or quit the job. Derive from the TOWS strategic matching, this research suggest implement Expert System within the company as effective strategy to minimize the threats. However, except the Expert System, any other strategy that will help the foundries effectively retain and reuse the foundry tacit knowledge and turn it into foundries’ competitive strength might be another good subject to explore for the successors who engage in foundry related research.
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