Classified index - under the following headings

1. Information Control
Gathering, storage, retrieval, and organisation of data, information and knowledge.

2a. Paradigm Models

Paradigms, frameworks or perspectives that help one `get a handle' on the situation.

2b. Simulation Models

Models that enable answers to "What if?" questions.

3. Ways of Choosing

Techniques or tools that analyse or help to narrow the field of choice.

4. Representation Aids

Tools and techniques that aid visualisation of the data or problem space.

5. "Processes"

These are not in themselves tools, rather, they are management techniques or philosophies. Their primary aims are to control or 'run' some part of a manufacturing operation. They may also provide, or be based on, particular perspectives rather like the paradigm models above.

1. Information Control

• Brainstorming
• Clustering Processes
• Customer Surveys and Interviews
• Data Sources (including links to some www sources)
• Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
• Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA)
• Soft Systems Methodology
• Spreadsheets and databases
• Statistical Process Control
• Statistical Software

2a. Paradigm Models

• 4 Ps of marketing
• Balanced Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton)
• Boston Plot (see also Product life cycle model below)
• Capability and Maturity - Hayes and Wheelwright's Four Stages
• Capabilities and Competences
• Corporate Strategy
• Flexibility Framework
• Innovation Funnel
• Manufacturing Decision Areas
• Mintzberg's 5 Ps for Strategy
• Porter's 5 Forces
• Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies (ways of competing)
• Porter's Value Chain
• Product Life Cycle (See Boston Plot above)
• Quality Framework
• Quality, Time, Cost & Flexibility
• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Time Framework
• Trade-off Models
• Vroom's expectancy theory

2b. Simulation Models

• Cost / Benefit / Risk Analysis
• Critical Path Analysis (CPA, CPM)
• Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
• Robustness Analysis
• Sensitivity Analysis

3. Ways of Choosing

• Analytical Hierarchy Process
• Conflict Analysis
• Criteria Rating Form, Weighted Ranking
• Gap Analysis
• Importance / Performance Matrix
• Quantitative Decision Making
• Strategic Assessment Model
• Strategic Assumptions Surfacing and Testing
• Strategic Choice Approach

4. Representation Aids

• Affinity Charting
• 2x2 matrix
• Cause and Effect Diagram, Fishbone, Ishikawa Diagram
• Check Sheets and Check Lists
• Control Charts
• Decision Trees
• Drawing Packages
• Flow Charts
• Force field Analysis
• From/to Chart
• Graphs, Gantt, Histograms and Bar charts
• Hewlett-Packard Return Map
• Histogram or Bar Graph
• Matrices
• Polar charts, Radar charts
• TQM Tools
• Pareto Principle
• Scatter Plots

5. "Processes"

• Benchmarking
• Deming's 14 points
• Deming Cycle (Plan, do, check, act)
• Finite Capacity Scheduling
• JIT (Just-In-Time)
• Kanban
• Materials Requirements Planning (MRP)
• Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII)
• Quality Organisations and awards