ABSTRACT
Facilities can be broadly defi ned as buildings where people utilize material, machines, and other resources to make a tangible product or provide a service. Owing to various forces-internal and external-it is important that a facility be properly managed so that the stated purpose is achieved in a manner that several objectives are satisfi ed. Example of such factors include producing a product or providing a service at a lower cost, higher quality, and using the least amount of natural resources. To manage facilities* so that the objectives, which are often confl icting with one another, are attained, it is important to understand the underlying decision problems faced in such systems.
