Engineering Management International, 2 (1984) 67-71 67

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands

BOOK REVIEWS

Bedworth, David D., and Bailey, James E., 6. Inventory Control and Analysis. This
Integrated Production Control Systems: chapter addresses both traditional eco-
Management, Analysis, Design, New York: nomical order quantity methods and
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1982, x + 433 pp. uncertainty inventory models.
Reviewed by Melvin Silverman. 7. Materials Requirements Planning. This
chapter points out many of the advan-
This book is a timely and informative ex- tages of materials requirements planning
cursion into the computerization of produc- and the caveats needed to make it work
tion control techniques. It is intended as a properly.
text for students in industrial engineering 8. Scheduling with Resource Constraints.
and is quite theoretical in its approach. It may This chapter presents methods for sched-
not be suitable for working professionals who uling varying production runs when re-
have limited time to read and digest many of sources are limited.
these computer applications. These readers 9. Sequencing and Scheduling. This chapter
would probably be more interested in a less describes optimal techniques for sched-
complex work. uling n tasks for one processor and n
Topics are presented in an almost classical tasks for m processors.
fashion, beginning with a limited review of 10. Personnel Scheduling. This chapter deals
the literature, then presenting various con- with the difficulties of line and shift load-
cepts or theories, and concluding with an ing to use personnel optimally in manu-
application usually involving a computer facturing.
program. The authors seem to have avoided a com-
The chapters are: mon pitfall of most academic texts since they
1. The Role of Production Control. This carefully tell the reader that these theoret-
chapter is an overview of the production ically acceptable methods must be tempered
process, with generalized flow diagrams. with pragmatism when used. Examples are:
2. Production Control Information Flow. The most frequently used approach is to
This chapter shows how information is schedule heuristically according to pre-
used as the basis for effective production determined rulesof thumb. (page 298), and
decisions. Computer systems are described.
3. Project Planning. This chapter is for the The scheduling rules and heuristics pre-
reader who is not familiar with this sub- sented in this chapter are useful in pointing
ject and is an excellent introduction to the way toward the solution of real-world
networking ideas such as PERT. problems, but they cannot be used with
4. Forecasting. This chapter explains re- blind faith. With this admonition in mind, a
gression analysis, exponential smoothing, good intuitive engineering approach is
and other techniques. generally best. (page 298)
5. Aggregate Planning and Master Scheduling. Another of these aphorisms is, Grief
This chapter provides an overall view of comes to management when it fails to meet
scheduling, from the position of the or- objectives, not when the objectives are too
ganization rather than the position of an easily met. (page 299)
individual product. The book contributes to the profession by
68
gathering diverse materials that apply to pro-
duction control and presents them in a straight-
forward fashion. Each chapter contains the
usual exercises at the end to test and
strengthen the learning accomplished. The
writing is clear and the presentation of sup-
porting materials such as necessary math-
ematics is limited to introductory areas of
calculus. The illustrations and tables could be
very helpful to the student population for
Giegold, William C., Pructical Management
Skills for Engineers and Scientists, Bel-
mont California: Lifetime Learning Pub-
lications, 1982, xxii + 430 pp. Reviewed by
John E. Winslow.
A body of corporate folk wisdom alleges
that engineers and scientists make poor man-
agers because they relate better to things than
to people. At the same time, graduating engi-
neers and scientists are advised not to get
stuck at a drawing board or in a laboratory,
but to get into management. Assuming that
the first is true but correctable, Giegold
provides a fine guide for doing the second.
Early on, Giegold proposes a three-skill
model of management: human or inter-
personal skills, conceptual and non-technical
data-oriented skills, and technical skills. He
successfully distills the human aspects of man-
agement, and engineers and scientists can be
expected to possess the technical aspects al-
ready. This leaves conceptual and non-tech-
nical data-oriented skills for the engineer or
scientist to master, but unfortunately the
book is weak in this area.
This weakness is ironic, for Giegold claims
that concerns in this area increase as one goes
higher in the managerial heirarchy. The chap-
ters on decision-making and project evalua-
tion and ranking suffer most from this short-
coming. Lest one be too disappointed, how-
ever, we should note that the weakness does
not detract from what is in the book.
Management by objectives, although some-
what discredited by those who mistakenly
which this book is intended.
On the whole, the work is well organized
and logically presented. It is not (and the
authors so state in the beginning) a complete
text covering production control techniques.
It suits its intended purpose well: a limited
presentation of several computer-based pro-
duction control systems for advanced stu-
dents in industrial engineering courses.
believe that objectives must be jointly set by
superior and subordinate, is adroitly handled
by Giegold. It is this constant focus on objec-
tives that so many engineering organizations
lack as the test of goodness for everything
that is done. The authors thirteen criteria
for successful objectives ought to be man-
datory wall decoration in every engineering
managers office.
The point and counterpoint of adjacent
chapters on aggressive inquiry and active
listening, as well as the threading of these
concepts throughout the book, might do
more for organizational communication than
the collected works of any half-dozen com-
munications experts.
Giegold skillfully weaves all of his concepts
throughout the book. He achieves a coher-
ency that is rarely found in topically structured
books and subtly reinforces each of the con-
cepts in the readers mind. Although the chap-
ters on management functions, leadership,
and human behavior break no new ground in
themselves, their thoroughness and compe-
tence are immeasurably enhanced by this
weaving of concepts.
The explicit treatment of influence, poli-
tics, and power in precisely those words should
put to rest once and for all such euphemisms
as positions of strength and legitima-
tion of authority. Giegold is not just smart;
he has guts. And so much for the euphemism
courage.
To steal an overused phrase from fiction
reviews, this book is a good read for anyone
in management: tyro or scarred veteran. It