Quality Management

Preface 7

      1 1 Quality Management, Improvements and Science  11

1.1 Improvements—Can We Not Simply Be Content? 12

1.2 Science and Improvements 14

1.3 The History of Quality Management 17

1.4 What is Quality? 20

1.5 Principles of Quality Management  21

Part I Customer and Stakeholder Focus

      2 2 Customer Focus 27

2.1 Customers’ Needs and Expectations 27

2.2 Customer Orientation 34

2.3 Customer Satisfaction 39

      3 3 Quality Management for Sustainability 45

3.1 Environmental Management Systems 46

3.2 Continuous Considerations of Sustainability  46

3.3 A Stakeholder Perspective 50

Part II Models and Methods for Continuous Improvements

      4 4 Model-Based Improvement Programmes 55

4.1 The Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle 56

4.2 Process Management 58

4.3 Quality Management Systems 63

4.4 Six Sigma  66

4.5 Lean Production 71

      5 5 Continuous Improvements: Methods …|for Controlling and Analysing Processes and Products 77

5.1 General Approaches to Improvement Methods 78

5.2 Qualitative Methods and Tools 87

5.3 Quantitative Methods and Tools 94

5.4 Statistical Surveillance 97

5.5 A Note on Bias and Decisions 106

Part III Teamwork and Organisational Aspects of Quality Management

      6 6 Teamwork 111

6.1 Teamwork for Improvements 112

6.2 Teamwork in Value Creation Processes  115

      7 7 Quality Management in Practice 123

7.1 Context Matters  124

7.2 Organisational Structure for Quality Management and Improvements 131

7.3 Quality Departments and Quality Managers 136

7.4 The Future Role of Quality Management 140

References 143