In Pursuit Of Quality

This book is about quality. Its objective is to help the reader to discover the means by which any organization, large or small, manufacturing or service, can harness the creativity and resources of all of its people to work towards making that organization the best in its particular field.

Is wealth the same as happiness? How is the quality of life to be evaluated, measured, and most importantly, achieved? The authors provide provocative and engaging answers to these questions in this new, multidisciplinary and pragmatic approach to an important area of social research. Taking the individual as the point of departure, the authors consider both objective circumstances and their subjective impact on people's lives. Prominent authors from an array of different academic disciplines discuss the quality of life as viewed from their distinctive perspectives: these include the psychology of subjective well-being, destitution and basic needs, the environment, women and the family, illness and health, employment and work, and the role of the state.

Details problems found by firms trying to implement ISO 9000: bureaucracy, unwieldy controls, erroneous management systems; the means has become more important than the end.

This text examines topics central to the pursuit of quality in business. It focuses on the commitment to quality of businesses in the UK and how quality standards have been attained. It examines examples of successful companies, and includes company profiles.

This book offers a basic and practical guide for a manager, quality practitioner, or anyone interested in learning and understanding the fundamental principles, concepts, tools, and techniques of quality management and process improvement. This book enables managers to have a strong foundation for effective management and improvement of operations. It strengthens quality practitioners’ approach to people, products, or services and process improvement, to influence without authority. It provides practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the contemporary concepts of quality, guiding principles, and quality tools and techniques and on successfully implementing them. It helps enhance how practitioners perform their work and inspires them to strive for excellence. The book begins with an introduction and an overview of quality, followed by listing and explaining the selected 77 pillars (basic principles, concepts, and tools) of quality, grouped under the themes of quality, Six Sigma, and Lean Management. It examines the logical understanding of these pillars and how to implement them, providing practical examples and beneficial real case studies. The stories are based on the learning and practical experience of the author—a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a quality manager, and a university lecturer. This book benefits employees, partners, and customers of any organization, offering a great reference for practitioners and academics alike. It serves as a call to reflect on basic quality pillars first, before embarking on a quality improvement journey. It provides a solid foundation for managers and practitioners to exceed their customers’ expectations and excel in managing their business operations.