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...