Many executives in manufacturing companies are woefully uninformed about a key aspect of their business - how to achieve excellence in operations. In this volume, Hal Mather explains the operations side of industry in simple terms and shows how it really should be managed. The main objective is to show the reader how to increase Return On Investment (ROI). Operations directly influence inventory levels, customer service and business costs. Improvements in operations can reduce inventories at the same time as profits are increased. This double attack on the ROI equations cannot be achieved by any other activity.