The Encyclopedia of Production and Manufacturing Management is an encyclopedia that has been developed to serve this field as the fundamental reference work. Over the past twenty years, the field of production and operations management has grown more rapidly than ever and consequently its boundaries have been stretched in all directions. For example, in the last two decades, production and manufacturing management absorbed in rapid succession several new production management concepts: manufacturing strategy, focused factory, just-in-time manufacturing, concurrent engineering, total quality management, supply chain management, flexible manufacturing systems, lean production, and mass customization, to name a few. This explosive growth makes the need for this volume abundantly clear. The manufacturing industry thinks and acts more broadly than it did several decades ago. The most notable change has been the need for manufacturing managers to think in technological, strategic and competitive terms. This is a very favorable development, and it leads to manufacturing success. The entries in this encyclopedia include the most recent technical and strategic innovations in production and manufacturing management. The encyclopedia consists of articles of varying lengths. The longer articles on important concepts and practices range from five to fifteen pages. There are about 100 such articles written by nearly 100 authors from around the world. In addition, there are over 1000 shorter entries on concepts, practices and principles. The range of topics and depth of coverage is intended to suit both student and professional audiences. The shorter entries provide digests of unfamiliar and complicated subjects. Difficult subjects are made intelligible to the reader without oversimplification. The strategic and technological perspectives on various topics give this Encyclopedia its distinctiveness and uniqueness. The world of manufacturing today is increasingly competitive. It is apparent that manufacturers must respond to these competitive pressures with technical and strategic innovation. This encyclopedia has been developed to help researchers, students and those in the manufacturing industry to understand and implement these ongoing changes in the field.

Production and manufacturing management since the 1980s has absorbed in rapid succession several new production management concepts: manufacturing strategy, focused factory, just-in-time manufacturing, concurrent engineering, total quality management, supply chain management, flexible manufacturing systems, lean production, mass customization, and more. With the increasing globalization of manufacturing, the field will continue to expand. This encyclopedia's audience includes anyone concerned with manufacturing techniques, methods, and manufacturing decisions.

This is the perfect field manual for every supply chain or operations management practitioner and student. The field's only single-volume reference, it's uniquely convenient and uniquely affordable. With nearly 1,500 well-organized definitions, it can help students quickly map all areas of operations and supply chain management, and prepare for case discussions, exams, and job interviews. For instructors, it serves as an invaluable desk reference and teaching aid that goes far beyond typical dictionaries. For working managers, it offers a shared language, with insights for improving any process and supporting any training program. It thoroughly covers: accounting, customer service, distribution, e-business, economics, finance, forecasting, human resources, industrial engineering, industrial relations, inventory management, healthcare management, Lean Sigma/Six Sigma, lean thinking, logistics, maintenance engineering, management information systems, marketing/sales, new product development, operations research, organizational behavior/management, personal time management, production planning and control, purchasing, reliability engineering, quality management, service management, simulation, statistics, strategic management, systems engineering, supply and supply chain management, theory of constraints, transportation, and warehousing. Multiple figures, graphs, equations, Excel formulas, VBA scripts, and references support both learning and application. ... this work should be useful as a desk reference for operations management faculty and practitioners, and it would be highly valuable for undergraduates learning the basic concepts and terminology of the field. Reprinted with permission from CHOICE http: //www.cro2.org, copyright by the American Library Association.

"This set of books represents a detailed compendium of authoritative, research-based entries that define the contemporary state of knowledge on technology"--Provided by publisher.