Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, 4th Edition

Preface

This book covers the foundations of modern methods of quality conrol and improvement that are used in the manufacturing and service industries. Quality is key to surviving tough competition. Consequently, business needs technically competent people who are well-versed in statistical quality control and improvement. This book should serve the needs of students in business and management and students in engineering, technology, and related disciplines. Professionals will find this book to be a valuable reference in the field.

An outgrowth of many years of teaching, research, and consulting in the field of quality assurance and statistical process control, the methods discussed in this book apply statistical foundations to real-world situations. Mathematical derivations and proofs are kept to a minimum to allow a better flow of material. Although an introductory course in statistics would be useful to a reader, the foundations of statistical tools and techniques discussed in Chapter 4 should enable students without a statistical background to understand the material.

Prominently featured are many real-world examples. For each major concept, at least one example demonstrates its application. The field of health care within the service sector is of immense importance. From an individual or a population perspective, creating processes that provide quality health care are desirable. Additionally, the growing escalation of the cost of providing quality care raises the question ...