As manufacturing companies become global, excellence will be key to the survival of Indian manufacturing businesses. Despite India's good performance on the export front in recent years, India is being outperformed by its competitors. Indian manufacturing companies must compete with global companies and become world class organizations to be competitive. Organizational Culture and its Impact on Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing presents detailed insights into recent studies, providing solutions that can be scaled up at a global level. The lack of competitiveness of Indian companies is attributed to culture in the organization as well as an inability to introduce world class manufacturing tools which would allow them to become globally competitive. All the qualities needed to become world class are not currently available, and it is imperative to understand this gap through the detailed research this book presents to ensure India's manufacturing companies can compete.

Lean and Six Sigma initiatives are designed to enable sustained improvements in your company or organization's efficiency and competitiveness. As with other improvement strategies they are dependent on two things, effective management and your ability to automate or digitize elements of your business process. Lean and Digitize provides you with a convincing picture of each of these elements (process improvement, digitization and the management of both) to help you eliminate waste, improve process and service, and better align your information and communications technology with your strategic objectives. Bernardo Nicoletti analyses and reviews the development of automation and telecommunications systems in the context of quality management and process improvement. He uses case examples to illustrate organizational and management approaches to implementation. These, along with his practical guidance, will help you make sense of the complexity, benefits and interrelations between these different elements. The text shows you on the one hand, how to integrate information and communication systems into your process improvement projects and, on the other, how to align information and communication projects with your quality strategy. Without a holistic approach to technology and quality improvement, your initiatives run the risk of being misdirected or simply running out of steam. Changes of this kind will never be easy but at least if you follow the advice in Lean and Digitize you will significantly increase your chances of success.

As a society, we tend to reward problem solvers, rather than those who prevent problems at their source. In other words, we focus on after-the-fact occurrences (appraisal activities) instead of trying to eliminate these occurrences (preventing activities). Discussing and evaluating the core requirements of quality efficiency and improvement, 10 Essentials for High Performance Quality in the 21st Century proposes an approach to help shift the paradigm of quality from appraisal mode to preventing mode. Identifying 10 steps readers can follow to optimize the quality of products and improve customer satisfaction, the book explains the rationale behind each of the steps in separate chapters. It addresses specific quality issues in six different sectors of the economy and provides statistics, tables, and figures from various organizations that support the need for a paradigm shift. Outlining a systematic process to guide your organization along the path toward improvement, the book covers risk and quality, multicultural management, empowerment, error analysis, team building, advanced quality planning, and quality operating systems. The accompanying downloadable resources provide tips and tools to help you implement all the necessary improvement initiatives under the umbrella of quality.

Systems Thinking for a Turbulent World will help practitioners in any field of change engage more effectively in transformative innovation. Such innovation addresses the paradigm shift needed to meet the diverse unfolding global challenges facing us today, often summed up as the Anthropocene. Fragmentation of local and global societies is escalating, and this is aggravating vicious cycles. To heal the rifts, we need to reintroduce the human element into our understandings - whether the context is civic or scientific - and strengthen truth-seeking in decision-making. Aided by appropriate concepts and methods, this healing will enable a switch from reaction to anticipation, even in the face of discontinuous change and high uncertainty. The outcome is to privilege the positive human skills for collaborative navigation through uncertainty over the disjointed rationality of mechanism and artificial intelligence, which increasingly alienates us. The reader in search of new ways of thinking will be introduced to concepts new to systems thinking that integrate systems thinking and futures thinking. The concept of anticipatory present moment (APM) serves as a basis for learning the cognitive skills that better enable navigation through turbulent times. A key personal and team practice is participative repatterning, which is the basis for transformative innovation. This practice is aided by new methods of visual facilitation. The reader is guided through the unfolding of the ideas and practices with a narrative based on the metaphor of search portrayed in the tradition of ox herding, found in traditional Far Eastern consciousness practice.

Winner of a 2013 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award This practical guide for healthcare executives, managers, and frontline workers, provides the means to transform your enterprise into a High-Quality Patient Care Business Delivery System. Designed for continuous reference, its self-contained chapters are divided into three primary sections: Defines what Lean is and includes some interesting history about Lean not found elsewhere. Describes and explains the application of each Lean tool and concept organized in their typical order of use. Explains how to implement Lean in various healthcare processes-providing examples, case studies, and valuable lessons learned This book will help to take you out of your comfort zone and provide you with new ways to extend value to your customers. It drives home the importance of the Lean Six Sigma journey. The pursuit of continuous improvement is a journey with no end. Consequently, the opportunities are endless as to what you and your organization can accomplish. Forty percent of the authors' profits from this book will be donated to help the homeless through two Baltimore charities. Praise for the book: ... well-timed and highly informative for those committed to creating deep levels of sustainable change in healthcare.- Peter B. Angood, MD, FACS, FCCM, Senior Advisor - Patient Safety, in National Quality Forum ... the most practical and healthcare applicable book I have ever read on LEAN thinking and concepts. - Gary Shorb, CEO, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare ... well written ... an essential reference in the library of all healthcare leaders interested in performance improvement.- Lee M. Adler, DO, VP, Quality and Safety Innovation & Research, Florida Hospital, Orlando; Associate Professor, University of Central Florida College of Medicine ... a must read for all Leadership involved in healthcare. ... I can see reading this book over and over.- Brigit Zamora, BSN, RN, CPAN, CAPA, Administrative Nurse Manager, Florida Hospital, Orlando

Even during economic downturns businesses have to grow to survive and compete in domestic and international markets. There is always a need to plan for future growth. Enterprise Growth Strategy presents the total process of a growth strategy. Dr Kumar is an engineer who entered the academic world following a long career in manufacturing business and has since taught almost every aspect of business and management. The 'growth strategy' concept he has developed is comprehensive and manifestly practical. Dr Kumar describes mechanisms by which businesses can gain market share; develop, modify, or upgrade products; acquire new or expand existing businesses; transform resources to increase revenue and profitability; reduce cycle time; and empower business associates. Quality concepts - market growth, financial and core competency - are outlined and a variety of growth strategy tools presented. The relationship between continuous improvement metrics and business growth metrics is explained and their relevance to financial performance examined. Examples and case studies are presented to illustrate how different business areas such as Sales and Marketing; Product Development; Operations; Support Services; and the Finance function, contribute. Leadership responsibilities, employee participation in the execution of growth strategy, culture and change issues are also discussed. Business leaders, managers and consultants, academics and teachers, as well as higher level students on business-related courses will find enormous value in this book. It is unusual, if not unique, in presenting the total process from vision to mission, to development of a growth strategy, implementation of initiatives, use of tools, and measurement of both operational and financial outcomes.

Tourism Destination Quality: Attributes and Dimensions presents new research on tourism destination quality. It is based on results from the first major empirical study (the TDQ study) that examined what tourists associate with tourism destination quality. It explains why respondents strongly associate attributes and dimensions identified in the TDQ study with destination quality. The book critically compares dimensions of tourism destination quality established in the TDQ study with dimensions of product quality, service quality, place quality and destination service/product quality. To illustrate the applicability and varying importance of dimensions established in the empirical study, case studies of actual tourism destinations are also presented. The empirical evidence provided in this book demonstrates that tourists view destination quality holistically and from the 'quality of opportunity perspective' in terms of conformance to tourists' requirements, which are conditions suitable for pursuing tourist activities and interests. Future directions for research are provided, as well as a diagnostic tool for tourism destination managers and planners. This has been designed to help identify strategic quality improvement areas and to enable competition based on quality in various tourism destination contexts.

Primarily concerned with the organizational needs and objectives of a modern manufacturing firm, this book provides essential tools and techniques for achieving product excellence. Geared toward a modern consumer that is value-conscious and well educated, this guide proposes the adoption of sophisticated practices such as consumer-driven operational strategy, the utilization of unique skills, the encouragement of innovations within the firm, and the formulation of strategies for cost competitiveness in place of outmoded techniques. While the 21st century has proven to be a turbulent business milieu, this guide offers practical advice for fostering world-class manufacturing standards.

"I found the book very interesting, and will consider it as a supplement for my graduate statistics course, Managerial Statistical Analysis. This book covers a number of topics that graduate students need, but which we currently do not cover in our present format, such as questionnaire design, validity and reliability."

--Stanley A. Taylor, School of Business Administration,

California State University, Sacramento

"The author uses plenty of examples and the text is well written and easy to understand. The exercises at the end of each chapter were reasonable and useful."

--David J. Solomon, Michigan State University

"This book covers the most important topics involved in statistical research. It is informative, and topics are presented in a way that is easy to understand."

--J.L. Madrigal, Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University

Aimed at students who do not plan to be academic researchers but rather who will use measurement and comparison methods in their work, this book teaches readers methods for sampling, data gathering, developing questionnaires, reliability and validity, and quantitative and qualitative measurement methods through the use of frequent examples and exercises. In addition, the book covers the use of quality improvement tools and techniques in measurement. Readers who do measurement activity in their workplace will find that this book provides them with all the research, statistical, and qualitative tools that they?ll need.

Given the trend toward improving quality and customer satisfaction, measurement has become an increasingly necessary skill for business managers to possess in order to assess change and improvement. This book provides upper-division undergraduate students in business and management with these general measurement principles.

Through the use of frequent business examples and exercises, the contributors cover such topics as sampling methods for data gathering, developing questionnaires, measuring instruments, quantitative and qualitative measurement methods, items analysis, reliability and validity, measurement for quality, and computer uses in data analysis. Professors who have been frustrated with the lack of measurement materials for their business and management students will find this text answers their needs.

Quality Management System Handbook for Product Development Companies describes a systematic approach for quality management and continuous improvement via a formal management system. The approach centers on a high-level process for defining a QMS from essential prerequisites to improvement mechanisms. The book outlines the five major QMS phases: implementation planning; definition; refinement; deployment; and continuous improvement.

The text provides all of the information that a company needs to implement a quality management system (QMS). It describes the high-level QMS implementation process and offers guidance on how to define, deploy, and continually upgrade a QMS.

Recognizing the importance and acceptance of a process-oriented view of business operations, this book integrates a process-oriented approach to the establishment of a QMS, and describes the quality practices that are essential for product development.

Volume 2 of this set contains the full text of the FDA regulations, EC and IPEC guidelines, and ISO/BSI standards referenced in the checklists furnished in Volume I. The book is presented in an convenient, easy-to-read format, organized to provide fast access to the guidelines and regulations of interest.

With a focus on both manufacturing as well as non-manufacturing organizations, "Six Sigma Fundamentals" demystifies the Six Sigma methodology and provides the reader with a solid understanding of what defines a Six Sigma initiative. Each chapter fully addresses the concepts of the Six Sigma philosophy and explains the methodologies for real-world applications.

"Six Sigma Fundamentals" gives a comprehensive overview to the entire process - from understanding the significance of "customer requirements," the variation-reducing tools, the necessary roles and responsibilities of all employees throughout the organization, all the way to "Designing for Six Sigma" and "implementation strategy."

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For businesses seeking to gain the edge over their competitors, benchmarking is an increasingly popular tool used to compare operations and performance. Ten Raa elegantly presents the techniques and theory to explain how performance indices and rankings are developed and how they can be used to improve efficiency, productivity and profitability.

Completely revised to align with ISO 9001:2015, this handbook has been the bible for users of ISO 9001 since 1994, helping organizations get certified and increase the quality of their outputs. Whether you are an experienced professional, a novice, or a quality management student or researcher, this is a crucial addition to your bookshelf. The various ways in which requirements are interpreted and applied are discussed using published definitions, reasoned arguments and practical examples. Packed with insights into how the standard has been used, misused and misunderstood, ISO 9000 Quality Systems Handbook will help you to decide if ISO 9001 certification is right for your company and will gently guide you through the terminology, requirements and implementation of practices to enhance performance. Matched to the revised structure of the 2015 standard, with clause numbers included for ease of reference, the book also includes: Graphics and text boxes to illustrate concepts, and points of contention; Explanations between the differences of the 2008 and 2015 versions of ISO 9001; Examples of misconceptions, inconsistencies and other anomalies; Solutions provided for manufacturing and service sectors. This new edition includes substantially more guidance for students, instructors and managers in the service sector, as well as those working with small businesses. Don't waste time trying to achieve certification without this tried and trusted guide to improving your business - let David Hoyle lead you towards a better way of thinking about quality and its management and see the difference it can make to your processes and profits!

"Details the most recent advances in Laboratory Information Management Systems. Offers contemporary approaches to system development, design, and installation; system customization; software and hardware compatibility; quality assurance and regulatory requirements; and resource utilization."

The current economic climate, characterized by growing international competition, is forcing companies to rethink their approach in terms of strategy, the customer and supplier relationship, processes and human resource management. In this context, 'quality management' - synonymous with efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness, becomes essential. Quality Management: Tools, Methods and Standards fills a gap in the current literature by providing an updated overview of the discipline and its boundless fields of application from industry to public administration. Written by authors with both academic and practitioners backgrounds, the book serves as a culmination of the knowledge they have gained as managing directors and chairmen of leading companies. Starting from the history of quality, the authors provide the reader with a review of the main tools and approaches aimed at improving effectiveness and efficiency in organizations. Balanced scorecard, QFD, and FMEA are some of the solutions that are first introduced theoretically and then described in their application. International standards are also broadly discussed: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and SA8000 are described in their essential features and implementation patterns. This book should be considered a must-read for students, academics, and practitioners who are interested in the theory and practice of quality management.

This ready reference surveys the discipline of standards and standardization, defining common terms, clarifying descriptions, describing how standards could be used to restrain trade, and explaining how international trade is stimulated by the due process provisions of standards writing organizations. Containing real-world examples provided by experienced standards professionals, Standardization Essentials is a vital, forward-looking reference for mechanical, civil, electrical and electronics, materials, chemical, mineral, cost, quality, reliability, industrial, developmental, safety, forensic, and consulting engineers; standards managers; architects; project managers; upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students in these disciplines. Crystallizes the essential role that standards play in strategic standardization management, purchasing, contractual agreements, and international trade! Covering costs, benefits, limitations, uses, and abuses of standardization programs, Standardization Essentials -Considers whether standards build or bar trade and the use of international standards to leverage world markets -Presents a case study of conformity assessment related to international technical trade barriers -Focuses on consumer safety standards for automobile tires and other products -Addresses implementation of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 management system standards in industry -Highlights voluntary (nongovernmental) and mandatory (governmental) standards and regulations developed by a variety of organizations -Reveals competition, incongruities, and harmonization among national and international standards

This book comprehensively explores all of the underlying issues and elements which, together, constitute one of the most successful quality and management programmes upon which companies such as Motorola and GE base their success - Six Sigma. The author was directly involved in implementing Six Sigma quality principles and practices into a European division of GE Capital, deploying this initiative in an entirely service-oriented business for the first time. Drawing from and reflecting on his experience, Geoff Tennant develops a reasoned exploration of the benefits that Six Sigma offers to any organization and what can be expected from start to finish. He investigates the relationship between Six Sigma and quality, customer satisfaction, business processes and organizational structure, statistics and analysis and process improvement methodologies. Aimed at quality professionals, senior management and directors, as well as practitioners and students of Six Sigma, Six Sigma: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services provides an in-depth but highly readable insight into the quality initiative that is certain to sweep European companies as it has large and global American corporations.

Quality costs help to show the importance of quality-related activities to management; they demonstrate the cost of non-quality to an organization; they track the causes and effects of the problem, enabling the working out of solutions using quality improvement teams, and then monitoring progress. As a technique in the introduction and development of TQM, quality costing is a powerful tool for enhancing a company's effectiveness. Quality Costing provides pragmatic advice on how to set about introducing and developing a quality costing system and using the data that emerges. This third edition (strengthened by additional data from a range of organizations) provides sound practical guidance on how to define, identify, collect, measure, analyse, report and use quality costs. This established text has proved invaluable to managers and quality professionals, students and academics alike - the new edition ensures its continued position as the leading book in the field.

The first step any company must take before it can begin ISO 14001 implementation is to secure 100 percent, enthusiastic commitment from top management. Top management is persuaded if ISO 14001 impacts the bottom line. This practical, how-to book helps you build a business case for ISO 14001. Implementing ISO 14001 brings a corporate culture change, resulting in cost savings, reduced waste, and enhanced relationships with community regulators and other stakeholders. The author explores these issues with top people in the field who have already implemented the system. She addresses: owhat steps did they take? ohas the business case been supported by experience? owhat are the tangible cost savings? Through these interviews you understand what elements or cost savings can be transferred to your company. You will learn how to convince senior management to implement ISO 14001 - and what business benefits your company will see through the eyes of experts who have been down that path. Once you have top management on board, you must deliver. The Bottom Line: How to Build a Business Case for ISO 14001 shows you how to implement ISO 14001 and how it will profitably affect your bottom line.

ReducedEffort (R) Changeover: The Lean Way to Quickly Reduce Changeover Downtime provides a step-by-step guide for conducting a Kaizen event that empowers the people who do the work to improve how that work is done. Packed with tips, tools, and examples, this practical guide begins with a clear description of the Lean principles underlying the ReducedEffort Changeover system. In addition, it explains how and why reducing the effort always reduces the time of converting a machine, line, or process from one product to another. In this book, you'll find everything you need to quickly and dramatically reduce the effort and time of any process using the ReducedEffort method. This is not another book about how to do SMED. Like SMED, ReducedEffort Changeover (REC) does reduce changeover time, but REC is not SMED. SMED, Single Minute (or digit) Exchange of Dies, developed by Dr. Shigeo Shingo, has been the process used for many years by countless manufacturing plants to reduce changeover time. The SMED process was used in Toyota to reduce the changeover of a 1,000-ton stamping press from four hours to three minutes. As a Lean-based process, the REC system focuses on reducing the labor, not the time, involved in changing over a machine to work on a different product. With REC, there are no Standard Operation Combination Sheets to fill out and no Problem Identification Sheets to complete, and it does not require the arduous chore of timing every task, as SMED does. Very little capital investment is required with REC. Unlike SMED, it does not require management-approved funding to achieve substantial results. Because REC is not capital-driven, management does not need to drive the process. The operators will drive the process because it reduces their labor. One of the biggest advantages of REC over SMED is that operators will readily accept the process, and more important, they will want to sustain it. The reason for this is quite simple and will become evident when the REC process is defined. REC takes SMED to a new level that is easier and faster both to implement and to deliver sustainable results.

Offering a model, an implementing strategy, as well as traditional and nontraditional methods for the successful enhancement and maintenance of quality, this work establishes a rationale for the continuation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in all organizations. It considers leading quality-related topics, such as unusual charts, supplier-organization-customer relationships, customer needs and expectations, instructional design, adult learning, advanced quality planning, and reliability.

Unique critical approach helps students compare and evaluate different frameworks and ideas to ascertain strengths, weaknesses for their suitability to different projects, businesses or organisations, as well as written assignments; Well-regarded summaries of 'Quality Gurus' evaluates the contributions of influential theorists and practitioners in Quality Management; New edition has been completely updated across the board, including emphasis on Quality Management in today's digital world and fresh case studies throughout; Online resources include chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides and a test bank of questions

The first-ever complete guide to project management for facilities managers covers: how to write specifications, evaluate bids, and solve problems; all control and automation systems for new and retrofit buildings; cost-effective, energy-efficient solutions for all HVAC systems; and has complete coverage of single-building systems as well as multibuilding complexes.