Encyclopedia of Production and Manufacturing Management

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. The articles are designed to serve as initial sources of information for all readers, with special emphasis on the needs of students and practitioners. The structural organization used by the majority of the articles: description and basic concepts - what is it?; historical perspective - how did it evolve and seminal works?; strategic perspectives - why is it important?; implementation - how is this practiced or implemented?; technology perspective - what technologies are essential?; significant analytical models - problem solving with analytical models; effect - effect on performance; timing - when it is appropriate?; location - where is it used or practiced?; results - what results and problems to expect?; cases - who uses them?; collective wisdom - caveats 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 With the increasing globalization of manufacturing, production and manufacturing management continues to expand. This encyclopedia's audience includes anyone concerned with manufacturing techniques, methods, and manufacturing decisions Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are three actions that firms can use to manage the environmental impact of solid wastes. Editor, Paul M. Swamidass. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [847]-952) And Index.