Global Manufacturing Management

This chapter serves as an introduction to the topic of global manufacturing management. First, the development and importance of manufacturing for established and emerging economies is shown on the basis of key statistics. Based on this, the latest trends in global manufacturing management will be highlighted. This includes dealing with global markets, cost pressures, trade-offs, Industry 4.0, and operational excellence and ultimately shifting from a mere manufacturing site focus to a holistic international manufacturing network view. The introduction to the topic of global manufacturing management is followed by a description of the structure and objectives of this book.