This work is the result of the proceedings of the 10th Annual Conference '94: ESPRIT CIM-Europe. It reports on the results in development and implementation of CIM technologies. The key technologies which are being developed, and the results emerging from the collaborative projects, have contributed to the establishment of an integrative approach to manufacturing problems which embraces engineering, logistics, process automation, business functions, organizational and environmental concerns. This book should be of interest to researchers and technical experts who wish to update their knowledge, and to learn and read about the progress in this domain. It should also be suitable for managers and decision-makers who are looking for opportunities to improve manufacturing performance by the application of existing and upcoming CIM tools and methods.