Teaching production management

Production management is a discipline taught both at university and in specialised engineering schools. It is carried out using computer management tools, which are sometimes very sophisticated and which increasingly integrate production with other activities of the business. Production management is also a matter of knowledge and experience, for which it is difficult to lay down guidelines. Given this state of affairs, how should one teach production management? What variety of educational techniques should one offer to students both in universities and in engineering schools? After his long experience as practitioner, researcher and teacher, Vincent Giard suggests guidelines with which to answer these questions.