Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, 4th Edition

3Quality Management: Practices, Tools, and Standards

1. 3-1 Introduction and chapter objectives
2. 3-2 Management practices
3. 3-3 Quality function deployment
4. 3-4 Benchmarking and performance evaluation
5. 3-5 Health care analytics
6. 3-6 Tools for continuous quality improvement
7. 3-7 International Standards ISO 9000 and other derivatives
8. Summary

3-1 Introduction and Chapter Objectives

The road to a quality organization is paved with the commitment of management. If management is not totally behind this effort, the road will be filled with potholes, and the effort will drag to a halt. A keen sense of involvement is a prerequisite for this journey, because like any journey of import, the company will sometimes find itself in uncharted territory. Company policies must be carefully formulated according to principles of a quality program. Major shifts in paradigms may occur. Resources must, of course, be allocated to accomplish the objectives, but this by itself is not sufficient. Personal support and motivation are the key ingredients to reaching the final destination.

In this chapter we look at some of the quality management practices that enable a company to achieve its goals. These practices start at the top, where top management creates the road map, and continue with middle and line management, who help employees follow the map. With an ever-watchful eye on the satisfaction of the customer, the entire workforce embarks on an intensive study of product design and process design. Company ...