Production and operations management concerns itself with the conversion of inputs into out- puts, using physical resources, so as to provide the desired utility/utilitics-of form, place, possession or state or a combination thereof-to the customer while meeting the other organisational objectives of effectiveness, efficiency and adaptability. It distinguishes itself from the other functions such as personnel, marketing, etc. by its primary concern for 'conversion by using physical resources'. Of course, there may be and would be a number of situations in either marketing or personnel or other functions which can be classified or sub-classified un- der production and operations management. For example, (i) the physical distribution of items to the customers, (ii) the arrangement of collection of marketing information, (ii) the actual selection and recruitment process, (iv) the paper flow and conversion of the accounting infor- mation in an accounts office, (v) the paper flow and conversion of data into information usable by the judge in a court of law, etc.can all be put under the banner of production and operations management.