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Forecasting is considered as a key element in formulating manufacturing systems. There is a wealth of information about forecasting methods but little has been written about forecasting systems. An outline of an approach to build Decision Support Systems (DSS) for forecasting in manufacturing is given. A strategic forecasting framework is provided. To integrate the forecasting system into the manufacturing information systems, guidelines for manufacturers are suggested.

In the health care area, there is a wealth of information about quality control methods, but little has been written about computer‐based quality control systems. This article focuses on the development of a statistical process control (SPC) system for hospital food‐service operations. An SPC system is put in perspective so that a view is given of where it fits into the food‐service operations and an understanding of some of its important advantages and of some of the implementation problems may be understood. Several insights for building a quality control system are suggested. Management and control issues are addressed. These issues are reviewed and discussed, and some comments are made on the practical implications for hospital food‐service operations.