APICS—The Association for Operations Management is a not-for-profit international educational organization respected throughout the world for its education and professional certification programs. With more than 70,000 individual and corporate members in 20,000 companies worldwide, APICS is dedicated to using education to improve the business bottom line.APICS is recognized globally as:•the source of knowledge and expertise for manufacturing and service industries across the entire supply chain in such areas as materials management, information services, purchasing and quality. •the leading provider of high-quality, cutting-edge educational programs that advance organizational success in a changing, competitive marketplace •a successful developer of two internationally recognized certification programs, Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) •a distribution center for hundreds of business management publications and educational materials •a source of solutions, support, and networking local chapters, workshops, symposia, and the annual APICS International Conference and Exposition. Founded in 1957 as the American Production and Inventory Control Society, APICS has since expanded its focus to include a full range of programs and materials on individual and organizational education, standards of excellence, and integrated resource management. To reflect this new direction, we are now known as APICS—The Association for Operations Management.