Written as an aid in obtaining information to solve factory problems, this text explains how to work with the information systems staff to retrieve factory data from the multiple and often incompatible legacy systems they typically reside in. The author examines the three sources of information: direct observation of the situation; interviews with knowledgeable managers, engineers, or operators; and existing data. By presenting solutions for acquiring information, ways to analyze the information, and systems of presentations, the book offers tricks to make the tangle of obsolete and inconsistent legacy systems produce timely answers.