Materials management has become an important activity in both manu­ facturing and service organizations. Rapid changes in the industrial envi­ ronment, such as the introduction of automation and Just-In-Time, and demands for increased productivity and quality have increased the need for alI personnel to be concerned with total control of materials. Clearly this trend will continue, and materials management wilI play an increasingly vital role in organizational success, especialIy for operations that are be­ coming automated. Materials management will be more critical in many service organizations where the materials group has received little attention in the past. This book covers the basic materials management function and provides valuable insights into various other major functions related to it. We believe that each of these-manufacturing, marketing, finance, quaIity assurance, and engineering-is vitalIy involved in materiaIs management, and any coverage of the subject that excludes these functions offers too narrow a perspective. With increasing demand for materials managers, human resource re­ quirements will be satisfied by individuals trained within the discipline and by personnel who have worked in other fields. The dimensions of materials management have grown so rapidly that many practicing managers are not aware that they are fulfilling material management functions. It is impor­ tant that alI individuals have the basic knowledge required to perforrn their roles in these organizations.