Synopsis Designed as a text for students of management and engineering (mechanical/production), this book presents a modern approach to quality control which is so essential in today's globalized, competitive environment. It covers the foundations of modern methods of quality control and improvement that are used in the manufacturing and service industries.

Divided into six parts, the text introduces the student to such topics as quality costs and their measurement, management of quality functions, philosophies of leading experts like Deming (his 14 principles), Crosby and Juran, quality management practices, tools and standards, benchmarking, and the seven tools for quality improvement. This is followed by a detailed discussion on statistical concepts and techniques in quality control and improvement. The text also gives a clear analysis of statistical process control including discussions on control charts, process capability analysis and acceptance and sampling procedures. The last two parts focus on reliability, experimental design and the Taguchi method, and the application of quality control and improvement in the service sector.