Introduction to Materials Management (5th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Good book to start learing materials Managements
Review: I read the 4th Edition , it is very good

Rating:
Summary: a concise introduction to materials management
Review: I think this is the right book to start studying materials management.Each chapter, written in an easy to read manner, offers a great deal of systematically classified information on every aspect of production planning and control. I suggest reading the book with the accompanying case book, which also covers lots of useful material though with some typographical errors.
If chapters were outlined in more detail with subsections it would help facilitate a clearer understanding and enable following up points of reference more easily.
I and my students found it both useful and enjoyable in class.

Rating:
Summary: This is the best book for the CPIM Exam, but ...
Review: there are better books on Manufacturing. The third edition was written to make the book agree with APICS terminology, and the fourth edition is not a major rewrite. If you are buying this book to study for the CPIM Exam, save yourself some money and buy the third edition used.

My problem with this book can best be shown with an example. On page 61 (3d ed.) "The master production schedule is a plan for the production of individual end items." Later (p.79) "Planning bills are an artificial grouping of components for planning purposes." "They are used to simplify forecasting, master production scheduling, and material requirements planning. They do not represent buldable products, but an average product."

So which is it, does the MPS contain only hard orders to be filled, or hard orders AND planning bills, or should we also add forecasts of families of products. I believe that an MPS that contained ONLY hard orders would be useless.

For a book that I wouldn't be without, see: "Manufacturing for Survival" by Blair Williams." It doesn't use APICS terminology, but it does have more useful information.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Read - Tons of Information
Review: This is an excellent book to use to study for the CPIM certification and it offers a great deal of information that isn't always shared in the classes. After taking many of the classes I have found that reading from the book one becomes much more prepared for the exams. This book is also a great read for improving one's skills as a production planner. I recommend this book for anyone aiming to work in the materials end of manufacturing. Henry Ford would have enjoyed this!