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66 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2021 Optimization of manufacturing operations is a broad subject; in fact, it is broad enough that MBA and PhD degrees are awarded in op- erations management and multiple books have been written on the subject. Operations man- agement is an amalgamation of technical and business issues. We are not writing a book here but if you take a 50,000-foot view of the subject we should ask: What is the focus of manufac- turing operations? e way I see it, there are only two things: quality and delivery. is is essentially the fo- cus on the factory floor. Why? Because the customer cares about getting a quality product and getting it on time. When you analyze feed- back from your customers, what are the main complaints the customers have about their suppliers? It's the same: quality and delivery. To optimize manufacturing operations, you must set up a strong internal manufacturing in- frastructure. You need this to deliver high qual- ity products on time, to keep your customers happy, and to run a profitable operation. You cannot do this without the help of your em- ployees and suppliers—two of the major stake- holders in the company besides the owners. We oen see headlines about the current state of poor infrastructure. While not every- one agrees on the definition of infrastructure, most agree that roads, bridges, airports, wa- ter, sewer, internet, and the power grid are part of infrastructure. But for the functioning of a modern society, if you include as part of the infrastructure the well-being of the popu- lace in general—not just a privileged few—and the sustainability of our planet, you will find a Optimizing Your Manufacturing Operations SMT Solver Feature Column by Ray Prasad, RAY PRASAD CONSULTANCY GROUP