This issue brings the return of one our most popular features — the MRP II software survey. The 1997 survey, beginning on page 60, features 112 packages from 102 vendors, representing a wide cross-section of software options. These surveys provide a cross-referenceable chart by which to compare and contrast software package features. If you're in the market for an MRP II system, or are looking to upgrade your current system's functionality, this survey is a great place to start your search.

But just as MRP II has ingrained itself into the core functions of almost every manufacturing operation, much debate still swirls around the system's functionality and true usefulness. Two articles in this month's issue take up the debate.

Philip Rhodes, CFPIM, explores the usefulness of MRP II systems by approaching the issue in the tried-and-true APICS tradition of gaining a thorough understanding of your own operations and the capabilities of the automated solution in question before proceeding with implementation. According to Rhodes, "It is crucial to understand the implications of the manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) paradigm when selecting and implementing the system. The limitations of the MRP II paradigm need to be clearly recognized if they are to be dealt with in an effective manner." See Rhodes' article on page 42 before taking your next step toward process automation via MRP II.

Ian Melling, CFPIM, takes up the MRP/MRP II issue from the angle of those who realize the need for the solution, but are not satisfied with vendor packaging of the software. Melling argues for the inclusion of snapshot pegging into MRP software packages by first posing the question: Why don't more of you out there want it? His article begins on page 46.


Process manufacturing
Based on discussions I've had with numerous attendees at various conferences over the past year, the number of process manufacturers interested in APICS appears to be on the increase. Our most recent reader survey has provided the figures to bolster my suspicions: The number of APICS—The Performance Advantage readers involved in process manufacturing has increased by some 20 percentage points over the past few years.

In this issue, the intricate concerns of materials handling for process manufacturers are spotlighted. Amanda Turton examines the use of microbial testing methods to ensure product quality — a matter of life and death to manufacturers of consumable goods (page 36).


Management issues
I would like to bring your attention to two columns in particular providing an angle toward effective management.

The first of these columns I want to mention is also the newest addition to our pages: "Developmental Decision-making" by Philip E. Quigley, CFPIM. Philip has written for us before, and he brings a wealth of good management information to each issue he confronts. This month he looks at data warehousing and its management benefits. In the future, look for him to address such issues as global management concerns, and managing a company on a 24/7 basis.

Tom Inglesby, a renowned figure in the manufacturing and resource management business, has retooled his "Zen and the Art of Systems" column into the more direct "Integration Issues." The new title may seem less intriguing, but I assure you the pointedness of his commentary remains intact — only it is now more directed at the systems integration issues so crucial to management concerns in our Information Age.

David Greenfield, editor
[email protected]

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