For a continuously growing company that has to be ready and aware of market trends to implement its products and adapt them to the needs of increasingly demanding customers, it is no longer enough to have and pursue excellent technical and technological departments, quality products, to have at its disposal an effective and efficient sales network with qualified aggressive personnel and to invest in research. Today, fulfilling contract goals while keeping the customer satisfied and staying within the company's budgetary requirements requires more and more ef- cient project management. As it has been ascertained that design success depends on the ability of knowing how to correctly and effectively monitor all management activities, a successful, efficient collaboration has been set up with the University of Udine and Prof. Tonchia in order to support research based on the best practice applicable to complex corporations. Describing management's experience in this book shows the validity of the University/Corporation combination because it allows universities to get closer to industry, and the type of management used at Danieli & C. can be conveyed outside its specific field.

Contributions by: F. Cozzi