1.Explain how constraints in manufacturing are interrelated with a company's decisions regarding volume and variety. (Ch. 5)

2.Why would a company's costs of manufacturing and procurement tend to increase as the firm changes from an MTP to an MTO strategy? Why would inventory costs tend to decrease? (Ch. 5)

3.Many people think of lean systems as being incompatible with mass customization and flexible manufacturing. Why is this conclusion incorrect? (Ch. 5)

4.Discuss the disproportionate risk of holding inventory by retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Why has there been a trend to push inventory back up the channel of distribution? (Ch. 7)

5.Illustrate how fine-line inventory classification can be used with product and market segments. What are the benefits and considerations when classifying inventory by product, market, and product/market? (Ch. 7)

6.Discuss the differences between reactive and planning inventory logics. What are the advantages of each? What are the major implications of each? (Ch. 7)