This newly revised edition helps today's manufacturing companies face the challenges of a global marketplace where every part of the operation must become more efficient to enhance the bottom line. Based on the results and conclusions of an applied research project of process manufacturing operations directed by the author, Bottom-Line Automation presents an overview of more than 30 years of industry trends, pointing out the strengths and pitfalls of each. The book also explains how manufacturers selected automation technology suppliers for state-of-the-art technological features in their systems rather than for the improvements the technology could offer the manufacturing operation. New topics in the book discuss the economic optimization of industrial assets.Content:Front Matter List of Figures List of Abbreviations Table of Contents1. The Drive to Economic Performance2. Technology and the Bottom Line3. Quality and the Bottom Line4. Cost Accounting and the Bottom Line5. The Convergence6. The Economic Optimization of Industrial Assets7. Case Studies BibliographyIndex