Journal of Manufacturing Systems

Vol. 18/No. 5
1999

books

based approach to robotics. It presents all of the key

philosophical and technical ideas that put this "bottomup" approach at the forefront of current research in not
only AI but all of cognitive science.

office operations, the tools to support Q-ROC, and system dynamics precepts for quick response in regard to
such things as idle capacity, efficiency measures, variability, resource pooling, task setup times, batching,
and capacity management. The sole chapter in Part
Four, QRM for Rapid New Product Introduction, covers
QRM for rapid new product introduction (NPI). The
last three chapters are in Part Five, Creating the QRM
Enterprise. This section focuses on creating the QRM
enterprise--from management mind-set, capacity and
facilities decisions, and quality strategies to organizational structure and personnel decisions, production
planning and scheduling decisions, and supplier and
customer decisions. Guidelines for successful QRM
teams and specific steps to implementing QRM are
especially described.

Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business

Competition
B. Joseph Pine, Stan Davis, B. Joseph Pine II, authors
1999 Harvard Business School Press, 333 pp., $16.95
(paperbound)
Mass Customization shows companies how to mass
produce and individually customize their products and
services. New ways of managing, together with new technology, make possible the seeming paradox of providing
each customer with the "tailor-made" benefits of the preindustrial craft system at the low costs of modern mass
production. As author Joe Pine makes clear, businesses
that learn to embrace mass customization are able to create greater variety and customization in their products
and services at competitive prices, or better. The book
explains mass customization in its historical context and
reveals when and how managers can make the transition
to mass customization.

Introduction to Mechatronics & Measurement Systems

Michael B. Histand and David G. Alciatore, authors

1999 McGraw-Hill, 432 pp., $80.75
This new text provides an accessible overview of the
evolving field of mechatronics. Measurement system
and electronic engineering fundamentals, which are
instrumental in understanding mechatronics systems,
are also presented. In addition to analysis techniques,
design considerations are presented throughout the
book. Numerous illustrations, examples, and problems
provide an opportunity to see and apply mechatronics to
actual problems encountered in engineering practice.
The text has been class-tested at Colorado State
University and the University of Wyoming over several
years to ensure accuracy.
The book provides an overview of measurement systems, circuits, interfacing, sensors, actuators, and design
analysis and synthesis of mechatronic systems. Design
examples and problems are integrated throughout the
text, along with numerous problems, examples, class
discussion items, and chapter objectives. Several appendices are provided, including one on measurement fundamentals.

Quick Response Manufacturing: A

Companywide Approach to Reducing
Lead Times
Rajan Suri, author
1998 Productivity Press, 544 pp.
Available from SME (1-800-733-4763),
$50.00 ($45.00 SME members), order
code PI-2758-4200
This book is organized in five parts and 17 chapters.
The three chapters of Part One, A New Way of Thinking
Stems from One Principle, cover the concept and perceptions of QRM, the benefits of quick response in product
introduction and existing production, quick response
strategies, and response time issues. Part Two, Rethinking
Production and Materials Management, has seven chapters examining production reorganization; staffing and
training workers; planning, scheduling, and control with
cells; cellular manufacturing; capacity and lot-sizing
decisions; analyzing lead time factors; material and production planning for the QRM enterprise; MRP, POLCA,
and JIT scenarios; and customer and supplier relations.
Part Three, Rethinking Office Operations, with three
chapters, discusses the principles of quick response for

Handbook of Simulation: Principles, Methodology,

Advances, Applications, and Practice
Jerry Banks, editor
1998 John Wiley & Sons, 864 pp., $150.00
Simulation modeling is one of the most powerful techniques available for studying large and complex systems.

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