1. Manufacturers have regained a competitive ad-
vantage by focusing on the following: satisfying
the needs of customers, maintaining a close rela-
tionship with suppliers to make sure they are
meeting customer needs, practicing continuous
improvement, focusing on quality, saving on costs
through better site selection, using new technolo-
gies, adopting new production techniques.
2. To strengthen the nation’s manufacturing base will
require an adjustment and recognition of the new
realities in manufacturing. This will require focus-
ing on new technologies, such as the green ven-
tures discussed in your textbook.
3. The nature of business has changed dramatically
in the past 20 years, forcing companies to focus on
operations management. One change is the shift
from a manufacturing economy to one dominated
by the service industry. Operations management is
a more specialized area of management that con-
verts resources into useful outputs.