Learn to apply the principles and concepts of manufacturing. Discover the nature of strategy and learn how it leads to the development of manufacturing strategy. Understand the purpose of customer demand forecasting and find out what forecasting methods are suitable for which situations. Explore the nature of planning and learn how to effectively use Gantt charts and the precedence diagram method. Determine how purchasing, production and inventory control, and logistics support a manufacturing operation. Discover the basics of lean manufacturing and see how capacity management converts production plans into concrete products. Learn why manufacturing, industrial, and quality engineering are so essential to any firm. Understand the true meaning of productivity and how to improve it. In this online course, you will learn how successful organizations effectively use master production scheduling (MPS), production activity control (PAC), material requirements planning (MRP), and inventory management. You'll also discover how the application of Six Sigma, and statistical process control (SPC) increase customer satisfaction, and you'll learn about the elements of a logistics system, including warehousing and receiving.