Publisher's Synopsis
This discussion book shares experiences in the use of tools and techniques in a quality improvement process. It looks at some of the more common difficulties in using tools and techniques and includes some practical steps to help with their application and use.;This work is based on a three-year project (funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)) that was carried out by the Quality Management Centre at UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology). The theme of the project was "TQM Integration and Development". One aspect was to identify and understand the common and specific difficulties encountered in using basic quality management tools and techniques as an integral part of a quality improvement process.;TQM International was one of a number of companies which participated in the research project. This discussion book, jointly written by UMIST and TQM International, aims to show some of the lessons learnt and provide some tips for helping to ensure that tools and techniques are used more effectively.;For many organizations that embark on a quality improvement process, the use of tools and techniques is the initial thrust of the approach. This often involves creating quality improvement teams trained to work on specific problems, but rarely do tools and techniques make the transition to everyday use involving the boardroom, shopfloor and office areas. Many of the tools and techniques are themselves not new and have been around for many years.
