China's Five-Year Plan is now called a Five-Year Guideline, reflecting the country's transition to a market economy.

Materials requirements planning (MRP) is a computer-based system of coordinating materials supply, demand, inventory, and production scheduling for manufacturing operations. In addition to the master production schedule 'drive file,' files are created for bill of materials, inventory status and the materials requirements planning package. The value of MRP depends on an operation's size and the efficiency of its current materials system. Its adaptability, however, promises new applications in other areas.

Describes a large-volume automotive parts contract in a high-quality machine work company. Quality and delivery problems arise when one of the four men on the job is replaced with a high producer who cannot earn a substantial bonus because of machine interference.