Quality Standards for Highly Effective Government, Second Edition establishes a "new normal" in government that will ultimately reinvent the practice of democratic government. The principal catalyst for this change will be the adoption of auditable quality standards within every government entity-based on efficiency, effectiveness, and delivered value. Conventional wisdom says that government is not efficient and not effective - but, we are still unsure what works and what is broken in government, where to find some common sense, and where to start to fix it. The problem sounds huge, but the solution is not all that difficult. Quality science can provide a structure for efficiency and effectiveness, democratic institutions can create consensus goals, and auditable standards can show where these issues exist and to what degree. In addition, it can drive change where it must happen, because if you can measure it, you can manage it. Auditable quality standards can make these unknowns highly visible and offer a clear scorecard that anyone can follow. They can provide holistic and thorough measurements because they will align with the unique roles and responsibilities at three fundamental levels of leadership in government: (1) Work unit supervisors and managers at the "front line" of government service; (2) chief executives, department directors, and their deputies as "Executive Management" of government agencies, and (3) elected top leadership, as those key officials must define the priorities, outcomes, programs, and budgets. This book proposes that a focus on efficiency and effectiveness, combined with its defined value, provides the foundation of effective government, and of its audit standard. In this book, you will learn four necessary strategies that will support the use of these standards including: Creating an imperative for consensus Ending incentives for building bureaucracy Building a safety net for champions of efficiency Making elected representatives accountable for results This book presents the methods necessary to measure and improve the quality of organizational systems in government, across the board, and on a sustained basis to achieve value, efficiency, and effectiveness -- It is the manifesto and map for government's future.

This book helps professionals to turn their own Six Sigma projects into reality. Using a sample project, the book guides readers through all aspects of Six Sigma, from identifying and defining a suitable project topic, to sustainably managing its success in the control phase. By demonstrating all the necessary steps supported by a DMAIC software guide, it makes the application of the sequentially linked DMAIC tools easy to understand and directly transferable to typical Six Sigma business projects. Further, each chapter provides numerous questions and answers, tasks and the framework for an environmental standard project. This book is an essential part of the author's teaching material on the topic, which also includes the software 'sigmaGuide', a template for project documentation and several hours of video content featuring course materials on edX Learning Community.

What happens when one of the most widely used quality improvement methodologies meets the world's leading statistical software for quality improvement? Packed with case studies in a variety of sectors, including health care, manufacturing, airlines, and fast food restaurants, Six Sigma Case Studies with Minitab (R) shows you how to maximize the quality analysis and improvement tools available in Minitab (R) for your Six Sigma projects. Highly illustrated, the book includes detailed steps and more than 380 screenshots that explain how to use: Confidence Interval Estimation Hypothesis Testing Chi-Square Analysis Process Capability Analysis Binary Logistic Regression Item Analysis Cluster Analysis Mixture Design and Analysis of Experiments Multivariate Analysis Pareto Charts Cause-and-Effect Diagram Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility Analysis Taguchi Design and Analysis of Experiments Factorial Design and Analysis of Experiments Statistical Control Charts The case studies demonstrate the wide range of sectors and uses for Six Sigma and Minitab (R). The screenshots provide exceptional detail and the book includes explanations for many Six Sigma terms and an appendix with the contents of the Minitab (R) worksheets that are referred to in most of the chapters. These features and more give you the tools to meet the challenges of continuous improvement expected in today's marketplace.

Small businesses face many challenges today, including the increasing demand by larger companies for ISO 9001compliance, a challenging task for any organisation and in particular for a small business without quality assurance experts on its payroll. Ray Tricker has already guided hundreds of businesses through to ISO accreditation, and this sixth edition of his life-saving ISO guide provides all you need to meet the new 2015 standards. ISO 9001:2015 for Small Businesses helps you understand what the new standard is all about and how to achieve compliance in a cost effective way. Covering all the major changes to the standards, this book provides direct, accessible and straightforward guidance. This edition includes: down-to-earth explanations to help you determine what you need to enable you to work in compliance with and/or achieve certification to ISO 9001:2015; a contextual explanation of ISO 9001 within the structure of ISO 9000 family of standards; a detailed description of the structure of ISO 9001:2015 and its compliance with Annex SL; coverage of the new requirements for Risk Management and Risk Analysis; a guide to the costs involved in implementing ISO 9001:2015 and advice on how to control costs; an example of a complete, generic Quality Management System consisting of a Quality Manual plus a whole host of Quality Processes, Quality Procedures and Word Instructions; and access to a free, software copy of these generic QMS files to give you a starting point from which to develop your own documentation. This book is also supported with a complete bibliography containing abbreviations and acronyms as well as a glossary of terms. This comprehensive text will provide you and your small business with a complete guide on your way to ISO compliance.

Fear of change-we all experience it. Some accept change immediately, some gradually adapt, while others may never get there. Whether it's poor leadership, the inability to change, or pure ego, this Shingo Prize-winning book explores this perplexing commitment to inefficiency. Winner of a 2013 Shingo Prize! The Psychology of Lean Improvements: Why Organizations Must Overcome Resistance and Change the Culture examines the psychology behind why businesses avoid Lean transformations. It investigates why businesses cling to the eight deadly wastes and why they still find ways to place continuous improvement on the back burner. Frequently sought out for his expertise in Lean manufacturing, Chris Ortiz has been featured in a number of trade publications and on the television show Inside Business with Fred Thompson. In this book, Mr. Ortiz breaks down the fear of change within executives and organizational leaders. He examines the psychology of dysfunction, provides insight into why so many businesses fall short in creating visions for growth and prosperity, and identifies tools that can help you address resistance to change. Detailing implementation techniques with a proven track record for success, the book considers specific strategies that can be helpful towards improving your company and changing its culture-including cellular manufacturing, total productive maintenance, setup reduction, Kanban, visual communication, and in-line production. It explains how to get started on your Lean transformation, describes why an economic downturn might be a good time to embrace Lean, and warns of the dangers behind failing to do so. Chris A. Ortiz is the founder and president of Kaizen Assembly, a Lean manufacturing training and implementation firm in Bellingham, Washington. Watch Chris has being interviewed on Inside Business with Fred Thompson on CNN Headline News. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMm3fVsbPtM)

This book provides construction professionals, designers, contractors and quality auditors involved in construction projects with the auditing skills and processes required to improve construction quality and make their projects more competitive and economical. The processes within the book focus on auditing compliance to ISO, corporate quality management systems, project specific quality management systems, contract management, regulatory authorities' requirements, safety, and environmental considerations. The book is divided into seven chapters and each chapter is divided into numbered sections covering auditing-related topics that have importance or relevance for understanding quality auditing concepts for construction projects. No other book covers construction quality auditing in such detail and with this level of practical application. It is an essential guide for construction and quality professionals, but also for students and academics interested in learning about quality auditing in construction projects.

Grafton Whyte introduces and explores a new academic theory for customer service delivery for Africa, aimed at addressing issues of poor customer service and poor service delivery. The V-Model of Service Quality (VMSQ) offers a powerful tool for measuring service quality, augmented by a service exchange model to provide a general framework for services, describe core components and provide contexts within which the VMSQ can operate. The VMSQ provides an indication of where problems may lie in a service operation, and an additional African Management Matrix identifies some of the historical and contextual barriers that need to be overcome by African managers to achieve effective customer service delivery. This book grounds the theoretical interventions in data drawn from case studies in the Sub-Saharan African context to make the models applicable to both researchers and working managers. It looks at the complex question of customer service delivery in Africa, and embraces both concepts of customer service and service delivery.

Although there are many books on root cause analysis (RCA), most concentrate on team actions such as brainstorming and using quality tools to discuss the failure under investigation. These may be necessary steps during RCA, but authors often fail to mention the most important member of an RCA team-the failed part. Root Cause Analysis: A Step-By-Step Guide to Using the Right Tool at the Right Time provides authoritative guidance on how to empirically investigate quality failures using scientific method in the form of cycles of plan-do-check-act (PDCA), supported by the use of quality tools. Focusing on the use of proven quality tools to empirically investigate issues, the book starts by describing the theoretical background behind using the scientific method and quality tools for RCA. Next, it supplies step-by-step instructions for performing RCA with the tools discussed in the first section. The book's clear examples illustrate how to integrate PDCA with the scientific method and quality tools when investigating real-world quality failures. This RCA guide provides root cause investigators with a tool kit for the quick and accurate selection of the appropriate tool during a root cause investigation. It includes an appendix with a guide to tool selection based on the intended use of the tool. There is also an appendix that defines the terminology used in the book. After reading this book, you will understanding how to integrate the scientific method, quality tools, and statistics, in the form of exploratory data analysis, to build a picture of the actual situation under investigation that will lead you to the true root cause of an event. The tools and concepts presented in the text are appropriate for professionals in both the manufacturing and service industries.

Qualitat ist im Therapiebereich von elementarer Wichtigkeit. Nur durch optimierte Prozesse, die Verringerung von Fehlern und Risiken sowie einer hohen Sicherheit, erhalten Patienten die Dienstleistungen in der fur sie notwendigen Qualitat. Insbesondere wenn Krankenkassen und Krankenhauser unter Druck stehen, Kosten zu senken und gleichzeitig die Qualitat der Dienstleistungen zu erhoehen, hilft dieser Band, indem er Zusammenhange und Besonderheiten des Qualitatsmanagements im Therapiebereich erlautert. Das Buch bietet praktische Beispiele, die veranschaulichen, wie Qualitatsmanagement in verschiedenen Kontexten integriert und praktiziert wird.

A product's design is based on what customers want and how much they are willing to pay for it determines its quality. The production process is supposed to achieve the required quality. Due to the natural process variation the quality of a product or service varies. Thus, quality can be defined as fitness for intended use or, in other words, how well the product performs its intended function. It is a written or unwritten commitment to a known or unknown consumer in the market. Quality management ensures that a product or service is fit for its purpose. It has three main components: quality planning, quality control and quality improvement. Quality management is focused not only on product and service quality, but also on the means to maintain it. Quality management, therefore, uses quality control tools to achieve more consistent quality.This book aims to provide the readers with the essential practical knowledge and understanding of quality-related issues to make correct decisions faster. Hence, they can effectively contribute to a modern dynamic production environment.The book covers the essential tools used in quality control and quality management. There are a lot of practical questions and answers on quality.

Expert coverage of the state of the art in quality of service implementation

Quality of Service Control in High-Speed Networks addresses the basics, theory, architectures, and technologies to implement QoS control in ATM, IP, and MPLS high-speed networks. It provides a comprehensive overview of existing QoS control techniques and describes practical approaches to their implementation.

The authors survey the most up-to-date developments in control strategies in self-contained chapters–complete with extensive reference lists–that allow study of select topics. Quality of Service Control in High-Speed Networks covers these topics and more:

• Admission control and data communication channel acceptance
• Traffic access control
• Packet scheduling algorithms
• Packet fair queuing implementation
• Buffer management
• Flow and congestion control
• QoS routing
• Basic architecture and conceptual models of differentiated services (DiffServ)
• Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) technology
• SONET and ATM

This comprehensive discussion of QoS technologies, techniques, and architectures suits the needs of engineering students as well as practitioners in software, hardware, and system design.

Does your staff deliver the highest quality service possible?Customers today expect a very high overall level of service in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Competition in these fields will thus be driven by strategies focusing on quality of service to add value, as opposed to product or price differentiation. Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure highlights concepts and strategies that will improve the delivery of hospitality services, and provides clear and simple explanations of theoretical concepts as well as their practical applications Practitioners and educators alike will find this book to be invaluable in their businesses and in preparing students for the business world.This essential book provides you with clear, comprehensive explanations of theoretical concepts and methods that will give you the competitive edge in this fast-changing field. Topics covered include: services management marketing operations management human resources management service quality management Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure brings together an array of pertinent materials that will measure and enhance customer satisfaction and help you provide superior hospitality services, and groups them in easy-to-use clusters for quick reference.

Teaches basic and advanced modeling and simulation techniques to both undergraduate and postgraduate students and serves as a practical guide and manual for professionals learning how to build simulation models using WITNESS, a free-standing software package. This book discusses the theory behind simulation and demonstrates how to build simulation models with WITNESS. The book begins with an explanation of the concepts of simulation modeling and a guided tour of the WITNESS modeling environment. Next, the authors cover the basics of building simulation models using WITNESS and modeling of material-handling systems. After taking a brief tour in basic probability and statistics, simulation model input analysis is then examined in detail, including the importance and techniques of fitting closed-form distributions to observed data. Next, the authors present simulation output analysis including determining run controls and statistical analysis of simulation outputs and show how to use these techniques and others to undertake simulation model verification and validation. Effective techniques for managing a simulation project are analyzed, and case studies exemplifying the use of simulation in manufacturing and services are covered. Simulation-based optimization methods and the use of simulation to build and enhance lean systems are then discussed. Finally, the authors examine the interrelationships and synergy between simulation and Six Sigma. * Emphasizes real-world applications of simulation modeling in both services and manufacturing sectors * Discusses the role of simulation in Six Sigma projects and Lean Systems * Contains examples in each chapter on the methods and concepts presented Process Simulation Using WITNESS is a resource for students, researchers, engineers, management consultants, and simulation trainers.

"Much has been said or written in recent times about the value of Six Sigma methodologies in driving organizational improvement. Yet, so many still seem to be intimidated by or skeptical about these principles and tools. In this text, Drs. Gitlow and Levine have provided a pragmatic, user-friendly treatment of underlying principles and methods, management obligations, and helpful case study examples to assist all of us in value-added enterprise-wide improvement." -Gary Floss, Managing Director, Bluefire Partners, and Board of Directors, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) "The authors provide the perfect blend of managerial insight and a straightforward "how to" approach to statistics. Anyone interested in learning about Six Sigma for the first time, or practitioners wanting to learn more, will find this book to-the-point, exciting, and easy to read. And also hard to put down!" -Timothy C. Krehbiel, Professor of Decision Sciences and MIS, Miami University (Ohio) "This book provides an excellent understanding of the foundations of quality management that provide a basis for the evolution of Six Sigma. For executives who wish to be "Champions" of Six Sigma, this book provides an understanding of what to expect of Green Belts as they work through a DMAIC project and what they should expect of themselves. Green Belt candidates will find the case studies extremely useful and informative. Both Champions and Green Belts will benefit from the comprehensive coverage of certification." -Edward A. Popovich, Ph. D., Vice President, Enterprise Excellence, Boca Raton Community Hospital and President, Sterling Enterprises International, Inc. The first complete Six Sigma implementation guide for Green Belts and Champions! Understand the rationale for Six Sigma Implement a proven executive framework for a successful quality initiative Use the DMAIC method for improvement from start to finish: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control Manage Six Sigma statistics-without becoming a statistician Learn through complete detailed manufacturing and service case studies Learn how to understand and manage Six Sigma statistics, through practical, Minitab-based application examples. Includes instructions for using Minitab software Learn how to pass Six Sigma certification examinations with sample questions and answers If you're "project managing" Six Sigma (potential Green Belt)-or promoting it at the executive level (potential Champion)-this is your book. It's the first Six Sigma book written specifically for Green Belts, Champions...and anyone who plans to become one. Two experts help you master the entire DMAIC model: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. You'll discover realistic solutions for Six Sigma's profound human and technical challenges. You can even prepare for one of the world's leading Six Sigma certification programs. Clear, detailed, and proven...this is the one indispensable book for anyone who must manage Six Sigma to success. (c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Although the Six Sigma Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) methodology is a widely accepted tool for achieving efficient management of all aspects of operations, there are still many unwarranted concerns about its perceived complexity and implementation costs. Dispelling these myths, Six Sigma for Powerful Improvement: A Green Belt DMAIC Training System with Software Tools and a 25-Lesson Course clarifies the long-accepted statistical and logical processes of Six Sigma and provides you with tools you can use again and again in your own "real world" projects-removing any doubts regarding their simplicity and "doability.". Not only does the book provide you with reasons for using the tools, it reveals the underlying doctrines, formulas, and steps required. Although the tools and techniques presented are specifically associated with the DMAIC philosophy, they are applicable across a wide range of management and improvement scenarios. Explaining Six Sigma processes in language that's easy to understand, the book starts with an overview, followed by specific techniques and procedures. It presents detailed, illustrated lesson segments that include an agenda, roadmap, objectives, and a list of takeaway concepts. It also: Provides seven separate Excel tool templates-each with its own user guide and additional smaller tools Presents completed Excel sample workbooks for each tool to facilitate your comprehension and utilization confidence Includes downloadable resources with a PowerPoint-based DMAIC training course, the aforementioned Excel-based Six Sigma tools and workbooks, and extensive instructor's notes embedded in each lesson Trained as and employed as a Black Belt and later as a Master Black Belt, the author presents doctrines and procedures with a strong pedigree and history of success. The book uses hundreds of figures and tables to illustrate key concepts and also makes them available in full-color on the downloadable resources. This is also true of the figures in the user guides that document the accompanying tools. For each of the tools, the book includes a completed sample workbook. The PowerPoint and Excel lessons and tools are provided in both 2007 and 97-2003 versions.

Quality has quickly become one of the most important decision-making factors for consumers. And although organizations invest considerable resources into building the right quality management systems (QMSs), in many instances, the adoption of such quality improvement tools are just not enough. Building Quality Management Systems: Selecting the Right Methods and Tools explains exactly what directors, practitioners, consultants, and researchers must do to make better choices in the design, implementation, and improvement of their QMSs. Based on the authors' decades of industrial experience working on business improvement projects for multinationals looking to design or improve their QMSs, the book discusses building QMSs based on two important organizational elements: needs and resources. It begins with an overview of QMSs and systems thinking and the impact of QMSs on financial performance. Illustrating the process management approach, it reviews the most well-known business and quality improvement models, methods, and tools that support a major QMS. The authors introduce their own time-tested methodology for designing, implementing, and enhancing your own QMS. Using their proven method, you will learn how to: Implement a strategic quality plan based on your specific needs, capabilities, cost-benefits, policies, and business strategies Select the right models, methods, and tools to be adopted as part of your QMS Understand the critical success factors and implementation challenges Evaluate the level of maturity of your QMS and your implementation efforts Highlighting the importance of quality as a way of life, this book supplies the understanding you'll need to make the right choices in the development and deployment of your QMS. With a clear focus on business performance and process management, it provides the basis for creating the quality management culture required to become a world-class organization.

Improving health care is one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing western societies. Beyond the Toolkit provides practical help, hope, energy and ideas about how to combine the toolkit of improvement methods with the leadership and humanity required to ensure success in practice over time. It argues that understanding the methods is necessary but not sufficient. Beyond the Toolkit is readable and accessible, packed full of learning, insights, research and experiences, appealing equally to those setting out on the journey of improvement as well as those ready to make improvements on a larger scale. It will leave readers informed, energised and hopeful about their own ability to make a difference in their local health contexts. Beyond the Toolkit includes chapters written by leaders in health care who have been involved in improving the quality of patient care in practice, and who share their experiences, warts and all. These stories are powerful, empathetic, first-person narratives that are very different from the sanitised case studies that are often published. The authors co-lead GenerationQ, a Master's programme in Leading for Quality Improvement for senior leaders in health, social care and health charities. The programme is sponsored by the Health Foundation and designed and delivered at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult Business School.

Tips, techniques, and trends on harnessing dashboard technology to optimize business performance

In "Performance Dashboards, Second Edition," author Wayne Eckerson explains what dashboards are, where they can be used, and why they are important to measuring and managing performance. As Director of Research for The Data Warehousing Institute, a worldwide association of business intelligence professionals, Eckerson interviewed dozens of organizations that have built various types of performance dashboards in different industries and lines of business. Their practical insights explore how you can effectively turbo-charge performance-management initiatives with dashboard technology.Includes all-new case studies, industry research, news chapters on "Architecting Performance Dashboards" and "Launching and Managing the Project" and updated information on designing KPIs, designing dashboard displays, integrating dashboards, and types of dashboards.Provides a solid foundation for understanding performance dashboards, business intelligence, and performance managementAddresses the next generation of performance dashboards, such as Mashboards and Visual Discovery tools, and including new techniques for designing dashboards and developing key performance indicatorsOffers guidance on how to incorporate predictive analytics, what-if modeling, collaboration, and advanced visualization techniques

This updated book, which is 75% rewritten, provides a foundation for understanding performance dashboards, business intelligence, and performance management to optimize performance and accelerate results.

A PLAIN ENGLISH GUIDE TO SOLVING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS WITH SIX SIGMA

Six Sigma is one of the most effective strategies for improving processes, creating better products, and boosting customer satisfaction, but business leaders often balk at its reputation for being too complex. Don't fall into that trap. Six Sigma is simple to understand and implement--if you have Statistics for "Six Sigma Made Easy "

Warren Brussee has helped businesses save millions of dollars with Six Sigma, and he explains how you can achieve similar results in this step-by-step guide. He presents a thorough overview of the Six Sigma methodology and techniques for successful implementation, as well as a clear explanation of DMAIC--the problem-solving method used by Six Sigma Greenbelts. "Statistics for Six Sigma Made Easy " provides: A simplified form of the most common Six Sigma tools All the basic Six Sigma formulas and tables Dozens of Six Sigma statistical problem-solving case studies A matrix for finding the right statistical tool to meet your needs Basic Greenbelt training in one concise reference

Best of all, no background in statistics is required--you can start improving quality and initiating costsaving improvements right away. "Statistics for Six Sigma Made Easy " is the only reference you need to facilitate real-world application of Six Sigma tools.

Step by step, "Facilitating the Project Lifecycle" guides the project manager/facilitator in making smart choices about when and how to pull key talent together to spell success for the project and ultimately the organization. The authors will help you understand the benefits of using facilitated group work sessions to get real work done during a project and get it done better and more efficiently than more traditional individual work approaches. In addition, the book includes: recommendations for capitalizing on group knowledge to accelerate the building of key project deliverables and ensure their quality as they are built; a work session structure for planning, delivering, and following up facilitated work sessions; guides for building key project deliverables; sample agendas; and proven techniques for managing the group dynamics.