Managing Quality: An Essential Guide and Resource Gateway, Sixth Edition

Book Preface

The subject of Quality Management is vast. There are many issues and interfaces to consider, and there are a considerable number of tools, techniques and systems which an organization can use to assist it in the introduction and development of the concept. The text covers the main aspects and functions of Quality Management, from identifying customer needs and requirements through to quality planning, supply and production/operations. This sixth edition of Managing Quality builds on the success of the previous publications. The book covers the main concepts and issues currently being debated and considered by business leaders throughout the world. It is a very comprehensive text and has developed a track record and following amongst students, academics and practitioners. Its purpose is to provide the reader with an appreciation of the concepts and principles of Quality Management. It has proved to be a wide-ranging source of reference for the many tools, techniques and systems which are associated with the concept.

In the book the term ‘total quality management’ (TQM) is used to describe the process of transformation by which all parts of the organization have a focus on quality with the ultimate objective of customer satisfaction and delight. Some people argue that the term TQM has fallen out of use, with directors and managers regarding it as a fallen star and a jaded concept. They moved on to what are perceived as newer concepts (e.g. Six Sigma, lean mapping, etc.). There is little doubt that in many companies and industries the issue of improvement in the quality of products and services remains urgent. Therefore in this book we are sticking to the term TQM and, when appropriate, coupling it to ‘Strategic Process Improvement’.

The feedback on previous editions indicates that the book has been useful to industrialists, management consultants, academics, and undergraduate and postgraduate students from a variety of disciplines; TQM is not the special province of one group of people or one discipline. People studying for professional examinations that involve considerations of quality have also benefited from the use of the book. We hope readers will read the whole book to gain an understanding of the breadth and depth of Quality Management. However, most of the chapters do stand alone and readers may choose to dip into the book in order to learn more about a particular subject.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, and a move into providing electronic support materials, a major revision of the book has been undertaken this time around. All chapters were fully reviewed and, to provide greater focus for the reader, some were extensively revised/combined, and some removed. In addition, appropriate support materials are now provided online (e.g. Instructor Resources, teaching slides, additional cases, key questions for each chapter, etc.). Please visit the book page on www.wiley.com for additional information/access.

The text is still arranged around four main areas; however, these have been refined and are presented as a conceptual model within Figure 0.1.

These interlinking parts serve to communicate the applied breadth and depth of aspects of relevant Quality Management application of tools, techniques and systems. Specifically the parts cover: Part One: Development Quality – overview and management, received wisdom, framework for TQM; Part Two: Business Context – policy deployment, quality costing, managing service quality, supplier development; Part Three: Quality systems, tools and techniques – quality systems, quality management tools, quality management techniques; Part Four: Sustaining Quality – teams, self-assessment and awards, New challenges, The future. We present the conceptual model of this.