Principles of total quality, 3rd edition

Citation

Narasimhan, K. (2007), "Principles of total quality, 3rd edition", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 189-190. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780710730023

Vincent Omachonu and Joel Ross are both recognised trainers and consultants in the areas of productivity and quality among other things. The former is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami and the latter is Emeritus Professor of Management at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

The book comprises 28 chapters grouped into four sections. Part I, on the Management of Total Quality, is the longest with 11 chapters. After introducing the concept of total quality management (TQM) in chapter 1, the principles of three quality gurus (Deming, Crosby and Juran) are listed. The need for top management support and involvement are outlined in the next chapter.

In chapter 3, the role played by information systems in linking organisational functions and serving both strategic and operational needs are addressed. The next two chapters are devoted respectively to the topics of strategy development process and the criticality of involving and empowering people in that process.

The move from final inspection to process control for continuous improvement is traced in chapter 6, which is followed by a discussion of quality function deployment and just‐in‐time in the next chapter. The subsequent two chapters cover respectively customer satisfaction and customer retention issues, and steps involved in benchmarking. The systems approach and cross‐functional integration with teams form the topic of chapter 9. The basics of productivity management and the relationship between quality and productivity are dealt with in the next chapter. Finally, chapter 11 covers the cost of quality and how to measure the cost of not meeting customer requirements.

Part II comprises eight chapters and deals with tools and techniques required to conduct studies for quality improvement. The concept of processes is discussed in chapter 12 followed successively in the next two chapters by a discussion of how to convert data into information and sampling methodologies and an explanation of eight basic quality improvement tools (illustrated examples are also provided). The following three chapters are devoted to an in‐depth treatment of control charts for variables and attributes and when to use them. In chapter 18, a seven‐step problem solving method for improving quality discussed, followed by a brief explanation of quality function deployment in chapter 19.

Part III comprises five chapters and its theme is criteria for quality programs. The topics covered in succession are ISO 9000, the Baldrige Award, QS 9000, ISO 14000, and a practical step‐by‐step approach to ISO 900 registration (This is a reproduction of an articles published in Quality Progress journal published in 1995 by the American Society for Quality Control).

Special topics in quality is the theme of part 4 is covered in four chapters. The concept of process capability is covered in chapter 25; and chapter 26 examines ways of measuring process capabilities for both variable and attribute data. The final two chapters are devoted respectively to discussions of Six Sigma and achieving service excellence in the healthcare industry.

Each part commences with a brief introduction of it contains. Each part ends with exercises, illustrative case(s) with question(s), copious endnotes, and useful references. The book is easy to read and understand and is a useful addition to collection of books on TQM.