Laying a SolidFfoundation for Machine Shop Information Technology

At the same time that computers and computer software are becoming more powerful and less expensive, the need to implement computer applications that improve productivity, such as shop floor data capture and web based supply chain communication, is growing.

Machine shop owners and operators face a bewildering array of software applications, many of which may be completely incompatible with their existing systems. The preceding article examined the benefits of going to an all-3D modeling workflow. Such a workflow requires high performance computing capabilities in order to be successful. The following article looks at the foundation of any computer information system, the operating system, and examines the pros and cons of the two main options available.

It is important to note that not all applications software packages will operate under both systems.