Thoroughly tested and used by students and proven to help students taking the American Society for Quality’s Certified Quality Improvement Associate exam, Essentials of Quality is highly accessible, experiential, and unique in its coverage of current quality management topics, from creative and innovative improvements and approaches to today’s economic environment to ways of developing metrics for measuring and evaluating programs. With non-academic, reader-friendly writing, the text features many chapter exercise and cases that provide students with hands-on experience.
Table of Contents:
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
About the Author xix
SECTION I QUALITY BASICS 1
Chapter 1 Introduction to Quality 3
Chapter Objectives 3
Why Study Quality? 4
History of Quality 4
The Definition of Quality 4
Modern Definitions of Quality 5
Product Quality 7
Service Quality 8
Different Approaches to Defining Quality 9
Five Approaches to Defining Quality 10
Major Contributors to Our Understanding of Quality 11
Summary 19
Quality Definitions 20
Discussion Questions 20
Case Study 1.1: The Battle of the Gurus 21
Exercises and Activities 22
Supplementary Readings 23
References 23
Chapter 2 Strategic Quality Management and Operationalizing Quality 25
Chapter Objectives 25
Strategic Quality Management 26
The Strategic Planning Process 28
Strategic Deployment 31
Evaluation and Control 31
Approaches to Monitoring Progress toward Strategic Goals 33
Dimensions, Measures, and Metrics 34
Methods of Obtaining Input from Customers 39
Focus Groups 40
Surveys 42
Focus Groups and Surveys in Combination 43
Summary 43
Discussion Questions 43
Problems 44
Case Study 2.1: Second National Bank 47
Exercises and Activities 48
Supplementary Readings 49
References 49
SECTION II QUALITY OF DESIGN 51
Chapter 3 Designing Quality into Products and Services 53
Chapter Objectives 53
The Seven Management Tools 54
Quality Function Deployment 57
Design for Six Sigma 59
Taguchi Robustness Concepts 60
Reliability 60
Types of Reliability Systems 61
Reliability Life Characteristic Concepts (e.g., Bathtub Curve) 67
Mean Time Between Failures 69
Modeling Product Life with Normal Distribution 71
Risk Assessment Tools and Risk Prevention 72
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis 73
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) 76
Error Proofing 77
Summary 78
Discussion Questions 78
Problems 79
Case Study 3.1: Building the Better Mouse 82
Exercises and Activities 82
Supplementary Readings 83
References 83
Chapter 4 Innovation and Creativity in Quality 85
Chapter Objectives 85
Breakthrough (Radical) Improvement versus Incremental Improvement 86
Increasing Creativity 88
Organizational versus Individual Creativity 91
Designing the Innovative Organization 91
Elements of a Creative Organization 92
Tools and Techniques for Increasing Organizational Creativity 95
Increasing Individual Creativity 95
Myths about Individual Creativity 95
The Importance of Technological Forecasting 96
Summary 99
Discussion Questions 99
Case Study 4.1: Smallburg Community Bank 100
Exercises and Activities 100
Supplementary Readings 102
References 102
SECTION III QUALITY SYSTEMS TO ASSURE CONFORMANCE TO DESIGN 105
Chapter 5 Quality Systems and Quality Systems Auditing 107
Chapter Objectives 107
Quality Management Systems 108
Elements of a Quality Management System 108
ISO 9000 109
IS0/TS 16949 and QS-9000 111
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) 117
Other Approaches 118
Six Sigma 119
Quality Auditing 120
Specific Types of Quality Audits 120
Performing a Quality System Audit 122
Quality Information Systems 123
Data Accuracy and Security 124
Quality Documentation Systems 126
Making Data Useful—Information Flows 128
Summary 129
Discussion Questions 129
Case Study 5.1: The First Audit 130
Exercises and Activities 131
Supplementary Readings 132
References 132
Chapter 6 Product, Process, and Materials Control 135
Chapter Objectives 135
Work Instructions 136
Classification of Quality Characteristics and Defects 138
Identification of Materials and Status 140
Lot Traceability 141
Materials Segregation Practices 142
Materials Review Board Criteria and Procedures 143
Supplier Management 145
Supplier Selection 146
Supplier Evaluation 147
Summary 148
Discussion Questions 148
Case Study 6.1: The Case of the Missing Lot 149
Exercises and Activities 150
Supplementary Readings 150
References 150
Chapter 7 Experimental Design 153
Chapter Objectives 153
Basic Concepts and Definitions 155
Experimental Design Characteristics 158
Types of Design 159
Single-Factor Design 159
One-Factor-at-a-Time Design 159
Full-Factorial Design 161
Fractional Factorial Design 163
Analysis of Results 164
Taguchi Methods of Experimental Design 167
Summary 170
Discussion Questions 170
Problems 171
Case Study 7.1: The Case of the Variable Laminates 173
Exercises and Activities 174
Supplementary Readings 176
References 176
SECTION IV CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY 177
Chapter 8 Quality Improvement Tools 179
Chapter Objectives 179
The Problem-Solving Process 180
The Seven Tools of Quality 182
Approaches to Continuous Quality Improvement 193
PDSA 194
DMAIC 194
Benchmarking 195
Summary 197
Discussion Questions 197
Problems 198
Case Study 8.1: Sour Grape Ice Cream 201
Case Study 8.2: The Westover Wire Works 202
Exercises and Activities 206
Supplementary Readings 209
References 209
Chapter 9 Metrology, Inspection, and Testing 211
Chapter Objectives 211
Metrology 212
Types of Gauges 213
Accuracy and Precision 216
Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation 223
Summary 223
Discussion Questions 224
Problems 224
Case Study 9.1: Somebody’s Got a Problem 227
Exercises and Activities 227
Supplementary Readings 228
References 228
Chapter 10 Statistical Process Control 229
Chapter Objectives 229
SPC and Variation 230
Types of Data 231
Variables Control Charts 231
Concept of the Control Chart 232
Out of Control Signals 233
Patterns Leading to Modifying Control Limits 234
Constructing Variables Control Charts 236
x-Bar and Range Charts 237
x-Bar and s-Charts 241
Individual/Moving Range Charts 244
A Special Form of the x-bar Control Chart for Short Production Runs 246
Attributes Control Charts 249
Control Charts for Nonconforming Units 250
Control Charts for Nonconformities (Defects) 253
Process Capability 257
Summary 262
Discussion Questions 262
Problems 263
Case Study 10.1: Middle County Hospital 270
Case Study 10.2: Precise Molded Products, Inc. 274
Exercises and Activities 278
Supplementary Readings 279
References 279
Chapter 11 Acceptance Sampling 281
Chapter Objectives 281
When Acceptance Sampling is Appropriate 281
Fundamentals of Sampling Theory 283
Assessing Risk in Sampling Plans 284
Methods of Sampling 289
Sampling Types 291
Sampling Plans 292
Sampling Inspection by Attributes 292
Sampling Inspection by Variables 301
Dodge-Romig Sampling Plans 304
Summary 306
Discussion Questions 306
Problems 307
Case Study 11.1: The Turkell Stud Mill 308
Exercises and Activities 309
Supplementary Readings 310
References 310
Chapter 12 Quality Costs 311
Chapter Objectives 311
The Categories of Quality Costs 312
The Goal of a COQ System 315
COQ Data Collection, Interpretation, and Reporting 318
Integrating Quality Costs into the Quality Improvement System 321
Summary 324
Discussion Questions 324
Problems 325
Case Study 12.1: HI-HO YO-YO, Inc. 327
Case Study 12.2: Acme, Ltd. 330
Exercises and Activities 330
Supplementary Readings 330
References 331
SECTION V QUALITY MANAGEMENT 333
Chapter 13 Human Factors in Quality 335
Chapter Objectives 335
Barriers to Quality Improvement Efforts 336
Human Resource Management 336
Motivation Theories 337
Integration of the Classic Motivational Theories 339
Process Theories of Motivation 340
Employee Involvement and Teams 340
The Care and Feeding of Teams 341
Organization and Implementation of Quality Teams 341
Principles of Team Leadership and Facilitation 342
What is a Team? 342
Who Makes up a Team? 342
Roles and Responsibilities of the Team Leader 343
Selecting Team Members 346
Roles and Responsibilities of the Team Members 346
Roles and Responsibilities of the Facilitator 347
Critical Action Items in the Team Life Cycle 347
What Is a Team Charter? 347
General Information and Guidelines for Teams 351
Team Dynamics Management and Conflict Resolution 352
Stages of Group Development 354
Forming 354
Storming 355
Norming 356
Performing 357
Creating a Win-Win Situation 358
Consensus 358
Professional and Ethical Standards 361
Summary 362
Discussion Questions 363
Case Study 13.1: Tom’s Team 363
Case Study 13.2: Self Directed Work Teams at BHI 364
Exercises and Activities 368
Supplementary Readings 368
References 369
Appendix A Table of Four-Digit Random Numbers 371
Appendix B Standard Normal Distribution Table 373
Bibliography 375
Index 385
About the Author :
Victor E. Sower is the author of Essentials of Quality with Cases and Experiential Exercises, published by Wiley.
