Lean materials management is a constant challenge in most supply chains and is one of the most critical issues facing manufacturing organizations. Success is defined by controlling all components of an operation, including the costs of quality, delivery speed and flexibility, and the synchronization of the correct parts delivered as needed. Lean Materials Planning & Execution shows how to capitalize on Lean systems and thinking to cut costs, increase performance and make internal and external customers happy. This book explores the roots of high-performance materials management to guide today's professional toward the right process controls at the right time. Written in a practical, easy-to-understand format, Lean Materials Planning & Execution describes supply chain management best practices and delineates a variety of important Lean and Class A metrics as tools for achieving maximum effectiveness. It covers all important management systems that are essential to high performance, such as sales and operations planning, clear-to-build and process ownership, along with the role of materials manager in getting maximum effectiveness from these tools. This is a must read for materials managers, production managers and top management in manufacturing organizations.