There is now a widely accepted view among manufacturing and service organisations that 'operations' can provide the means of achieving competitive edge. The OMA-UK Sixth International Conference has taken this view as its theme and focuses in particular on how technology and people can be used to improve manufacturing and service competitiveness. These proceedings have been organised according to the topics addressed within the overall conference theme and generally fall within three broad areas: technology-based topics, human resource-based topics and general topics. The technology-based topics are: Materials Control, Supply Chain Management and Logistics Flexibility in Operations Systems Computer-Aided Management of Operations Design, Process Planning and 'Time to Market' Factors Application of KBS, Expert Systems and Modelling Production Planning and Control The human resource-based topics are: Work Organisation Human Factors Managing the Implementation of Technology Managing the Quality Improvement Process Education Training and Development Employee Participation and Involvement The general topics are: Operations Strategy International Comparisons and Country-based Papers Performance and Productivity Measurement and Improvement A particular feature of all the papers is that they emphasise the application of techniques, technologies and concepts rather than concentrating on specific functional description. The authors are drawn from around 14 countries and represent both the academic and industrial communities. Many are involved in the 'mainstream' of operations management while a number are from other disciplines relevant to the conference theme, such as industrial engineering and organisational behaviour.

Operations Strategy.- Problems in Operations Strategy Development: Reconciling Theory with Practice.- The Role of Education and Training in the Implementation of a Manufacturing Strategy.- Measuring Product Goal Congruence: A Case Study.- Materials Control, Supply Chain Management and Logistics.- An Integrated Supply Chain Management Strategy.- Reorganisation of Material Flow for Natural Grouped Assembly Work - Some Principles and Results from Action Research.- A Model for Evaluating Manufacturing System Time Performances.- The Impact of Electronic Data Interchange on Inventory Replenishment Policy for a Single Item, Single Supplier, Multiple Buyers System.- Supply Networks and the Changing Role of Operations Managers.- Flexibility in Operations Systems.- The Flexibility of Three Manufacturing Planning and Control Systems.- The Effective Implementation and Operation of Flexible Manufacturing Systems.- Production Technology and Flexibility in the UK Steel Industry.- Flexible Automation and Small Enterprises.- Design of Production Systems for Batch Production in Short Series to Reduced Lead Time.- Evaluating Flexible Manufacturing Technologies: A research agenda for investment decision theory.- Computer-Aided Management of Operations.- Manufacturing-Oriented Simulation for Production Mannagement.- Computer Aided Production Management: An Example of Organization and Technology Systems.- A Methodology for the Implementation of Integrated CAPM Systems.- Images and Realities in the Computerisation of Managerial Work: Case Studies of Computer-Aided Production Management.- The Strategic Evaluation of R&D Projects Through the use of VERT.- Work Organization.- The Competitive Advantage of Autonomous Work Groups in a Changed Environment.- Competing via Alternative Work Organizations: The Case of Car Assembly in Sweden.- The Implementation of Group Assembly Methods in a Medium-sized Scottish Manufacturing Company: First Results and Comparisons with Conventional Assembly Methods.- Consequences for Final Assembly, Pre-production and Design of Natural Grouped Assembly Work and Materials Handling: Methods and Experience.- Competitive Edge Through Flexible Work Organization: Evidence from the UK Electronics Industry.- Design of The Operation/Maintenance Interface in Highly Mechanized Flows.- Learning Curves for Extended Work Cycles Within Assembly.- A Method to Evaluate the Flexibility of Autonomous Work Groups.- Human Factors.- Top Management Commitment?.- Improving Manufacturing Competitiveness through Human Performance Engineering.- The Workforce in the Year 2000: Technology Focuses on the Older Worker.- Managing the Implementation of Technology.- Critical Implementation Decisions for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies.- Implementing Change Strategies:Towards a Framework for Aligning Implementation to a Situation Specific Context.- Integrating Technology and Organisation in the Implementation of CAD/CAM.- Managing the Manufacturing Technology Transfer Process: Experience of UK-Based Firms.- Factory 2000: Organisation Design for the Factory of the Future.- A Study of Introducing Foreign Technology for the Development of Shanghai's Industry.- The Enterprise Design Manifesto: A New Approach to Computer Systems Development.- Design, Process Planning and 'Time to Market' Factors.- Manufacturing and Product Development by Symbiotic Co-operation in Small Scale Industries.- How to Achieve Competitive Edge by Simultaneous Process Engineering.- The Need for Parallel Planning Systems for Operational Planning within Batch Production.- Feature-Based Component Model for Computer Aided Process Planning Systems.- Competitive Product Design Strategies in the UK Mechanical Engineering Industry.- The Corporate Learning Process in the Context of Electronics Product Development.- International Comparisons and Country-based Papers.- Competition By Effective Management Of Multicultural Groups.- Comparing CAD Implementation in Engineering Firms in Brazil, Canada and the United States: The Need for "Engimation".- Case Studies: Processes and Problems on the Early Stage of Localization.- Innovating for Survival: Problems of Small Businesses During the Transition of the Economy in the ex GDR.- The Future Implementation and Consequences of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques in Dutch Industrial Enterprises: Results from a Delphi-research.- Service Operations.- The Operations Management Challenge in the Delivery of Complex Human Services.- After Sales Support Strategy: A Research Agenda.- Applying Service Concepts in Manufacturing.- Assessing Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality: Experiences from Application of SERVQUAL and Considerations for Further Development..- Application of KBS, Expert Systems and Modelling.- A Prototype of an Expert System for Solving Maintenance Budgeting Problems.- A Fuzzy Expert System for Adjustment of Color Display Monitor.- Operations Management in Integrated Markets: A Conceptual Model.- A Cobweb Model and its Application.- Production Planning and Control.- A Hybrid Push/Pull Production Control System for Multi-stage Manufacturing Processes.- Effective Implementation of Master Production Scheduling Systems Using a Gap Analysis Approach.- Strategic Capacity Planning and Shop Floor Control in Jobbing Production.- On Order Loading Operation Management System for MRP: Mathematical Model versus Knowledge Based Approach.- Improvement of Error Terms and Its Effect on Production Inventory Systems.- Manufacturing Resource Planning: "Some Salient Issues".- Performance and Productivity Measurement and Improvement.- Quality Information Management for Improving Productivity in Japan.- Improving the Labour Efficiency of a Partially Automated Warehouse: A Case Study from the Flour Milling Industry.- Improving Manufacturing Performance Through the Application of Just in Time Techniques.- Managing the Quality Improvement Process.- Steps and Activities for a Customer-Driven Quality Strategy.- Improvement Through People: A Practical Approach that Works.- Technology and the Drive for Quality: A Study of Survival in the Foundry Industry.- Total Quality Management in the Construction Industry - A Competitive Edge.- Implementing Total Quality: Erecting Tents or Building Palaces.- Two Approaches to Revolution in Manufacturing.- Education, Training and Development.- Educational Programs in Management of Technology.- Training for Cultural Change in a Brownfield Site: A Progress Report.- Economic Regeneration in the North East of England: Developing Strategic Viable Systems for Small and Medium Size Enterprises.- The Influence of Director's "Qualifications" on Profitability in UK Manufacturing Companies.- Management Education and Training in the Small Firm.- Undergraduate Studies in Food and Beverage Operations Management.- Employee Participation and Involvement.- Unions and Productivity: Convergence or Divergence in Perceptions?.- Work Teams in Four Irish Manufacturing Subsidiaries.- Manufacturing Performance and Employee Involvement.- Creating a Successful Team (Unleashing Employee Power).- Author Index.