Starting with the strategic development of plant locations and capacities, the book lays out a clear process for creating an effective production plan with considerations for existing production facilities. It discusses forecasting and aggregate planning, which can predict demands under scenarios. In addition, the book introduces techniques to improve plant efficiencies in various areas, as well as material requirement and inventory and capacity planning. This expanded second edition features new information on safety stock determination, uncertainty in demand, and resource center capacity planning. The problem-specific case studies illustrate the effect of different procedures on the entire system and stress coordination between independent techniques to help achieve optimal efficiency. With the aid of this reference and the proper application of its concepts, industrial managers and engineers can reduce their manufacturing cost, succeed in fulfilling their customers' demands in a timely manner, and attain superior planning and overall control of manufacturing operations.