Ed C. Mercado

FOR A LONG TIME, Ed had noticed that virtually all inventory management books cover various techniques with little or no mention of the operational situations for which they are suitable. The main theme of the book HANDS ON INVENTORY MANAGEMENT is that operational situations govern the suitable techniques to use. Pre-engineered manufacturing situations require different techniques from retail. Make-to-order situations requires different techniques from make-to-stock. And so on. Firms need to first understand and agree internally on their respective operational situations before selecting from among various inventory techniques.

Also, inventory management tools become effective only when certain prerequisites are met. These prerequisites include, among others: good housekeeping, records accuracy, simple systems, alignment of department goals.

Ed C Mercado CPIM, C.P.M. has most recently worked as materials manager of a pre-engineered manufacturer in northern California. He has two decades of experience in inventory planning, materials management and purchasing in the United States, the People's Republic of China and in the Philippines.

He has been on the board of the Sacramento chapter of APICS, the Association for Operations Management and has facilitated certification classes and presented topics at various region meetings.

He has taught operations management and quality principles classes at California State University - Sacramento and at Golden Gate University of San Francisco. He has also presented public seminars on "Inventory Essentials for Small Business" at Sierra College in Rocklin and Roseville, California.

Ed holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and completed graduate courses in operations research from the University of the Philippines at Diliman. He earned his MBA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.

Ed lives in northern California with his wife, Virginia, and his two sons. Ed is a tennis enthusiast and joins area tournaments when the sun is not too hot.