Book Description

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a business philosophy that yields customer satisfaction and continuous process improvement. This new reference and workbook embraces the TQM revolution and explains to readers how TQM principles are applied to safety and health programs. The text also focuses on the ISO-9000 Quality Program, Voluntary Protection Program, and Process Safety Management. For each of these topics, the key principles are identified and described, and the quality principles are adapted to safety. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

TQM Safety
I used this book for an environmental safety class in a graduate program. I was not familiar with this discipline before this class. In the first chapter the concept is layed out, however it was not an easy reader. Too many bullets and questions. It seemed to apply more for the safety manager already employed. The ideas were a little hard to grasp as a student without a lot of experience. The OSHA website helped me to get a grip on the ideas. ... Read more

Book Description

no description ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An Exhaustive Guide For Managing Change
David Hutton has created an outstanding resource for those responsible for managing change within their organizations. This book is not just for Change Agents . . . I recommend it for all leaders in any organization. The subtitle, "A Survival Guide For Quality Improvement Champions" is on the money. This book covers it all!

Best book on process improvement I've ever read
In my opinion, this is the best book on process improvement on the market today. It takes up where so many other books fear to tread and deals with practical issues of organizational dynamics. An excellent companion volume to the CMM, SPICE, or other technical framework.

Essential guide for companies seeking excellent performance
Virtually every company or organization can benefit by engaging in a quest for excellence. David Hutton's book paves the way by explaining the opportunities and pitfalls which will be encountered. Success does not just happen. It must be planned, then plans must be executed, results measured and there must be followup. The Change Agent's Handbook covers it all. David explains the vital role of management and realizes how important it is for them to be continualy engaged. If you plan to make significant strides toward excellence read this book then keep it handy as a reference document. I have worked extensively with David and have watched him place into practice that which he preaches.

So topical and interesting I couldn't put it down.
I came across this book at a time when I was dealing with major changes in my organization. Since I was Vice President level, I had to sell my colleagues on many of the things I thought necessary for our survival all of which meant a change in process and thinking. I was a change agent. This book championed me through the steps required to meet the task. We did very well as we brought about a change in culture and in the way we would "do business". ... Read more

Book Description

Mention the phrase "bottom line," and the immediate thought tends to focus on a company's financial performance. Think again! There's an equally important factor that carries tremendous impact on that final total: operational performance measures.Implementation of a performance improvement program can significantly improve a company's bottom line. Operational Performance Measurement: Increasing Total Productivity shows the way-featuring a new integrated theory of performance measurement, with a never-before-published measurement model that's applicable to any business activity.Practical procedures and guidelines directly identify the variables that should be measured; guidelines to develop measurement systems; and how to analyze, interpret, and use performance methods effectively. Numerous diagrams, tables and examples make the principles and procedures easy to understand and implement.While this performance measurement approach is simplicity itself, be prepared for powerful results!Managers can put the theory into action right away-giving them better control, improved performance, increased personal productivity-and an easier day at work! Operations, finance, administration and quality managers alike will find there's so much to gain when they're Operational Performance Measurement: Increasing Total Productivity ... and a better bottom line is just the beginning! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An excellent approach for those who wish to start OPM
Will Kaydos did actually a very good work. This book addresses to top management officers who wish to change to a more customer orientated approach and implement Performance Measurement in every aspect of their business. Well structured and easy to read with significant information on effective management. There are no equations or weird stuff in this book, because the author wishes to explain the core of this subject: how to implement performance measurement everywhere. This is a great book for industrial engineers, CEO's, Sales Managers, HR managers, Quality assurance officers and anyone involving with performance.

One of the best in my personal reference library
This is one of a handful of books on performance metrics I recommend to peers and clients. The author starts with one of the most cogent set of reasons for measuring performance that I've read. These reasons are compelling, reinforced with realistic examples, and clearly articulated. He then briefly discusses the art and science of measurement, and associated standards, techniques and methods. I especially liked his "Measuring the Unmeasurable" advice, which knocks down mental barriers and shows how you can, indeed, measure indicators that you may think are unmeasurable.

The approach he sets out is systematic and encompasses performance measurement in not only manufacturing, but in services and sales. In fact, Appendix C, "Implementing a Formal Selling Process", shows just how wide the scope of this book is. I've worked in technical pre-sales support and was thoroughly impressed with his approach.

Among the aspects of this book I especially like are the techniques he explains, the way you are lead through the development of an effective measurement system by identifying what to measure, implementing the system, analysis and interpretation, and actionable use of performance measures. Moreover, the way the author knits together a system based on multiple perspectives, taking into account strategic, customer, departmental and company-wide views is insightful. I also like the chapter on ensuring measures are showing an accurate picture, and the benchmarking information in Appendix A, "What Some Leading Companies are Measuring".

In my opinion this is a "must-have" book for anyone involved in operations, process improvement, or who has P&L responsibilities and wants to manage by fact - the right facts.

Useful guide
The book features procedures for identifying what to measure and specific steps readers can take to determine what to measure. It's a useful guide for figuring out what to measure for a specific organizational need, but requires some knowledge of measurement terminology. While I found it a useful guide as a performance and scorecard consultant, some of my clients found it a bit daunting. Good models and examples throughout.

A "must read" for those committed to business improvement.
A terrific business improvement reference applicable to a wide range of business and their operations. Consultants and managers will especially value Kaydos' insights into the role of metrics in supporting culture change. The case studies are well chosen with clearly presented implementation examples and informative detail.

"Operational Performance Measurement" is a must read if you are committed to improving your business or the business of your clients.

A book for those who want results verus slogans or acronyms
Kaydos does an excellant job of laying out the process of establishing and monitoring processes. Any manager who is not following Kaydos's processes is not managaging. Everyone who is serious about management should read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This title is a substantial revision of one of the leading textbooks designed for the statistical quality control course taught in departments of industrial engineering, operations research and statistics . While maintaining its already successful writing style and pedagogy, this title has also incorporated key organizational changes in order to reflect recent trends in the field. The text features large quantity of examples and student problems and a strong introduction to the proper use and misuse of control charts. In this edition several chapters were streamlined, and consolidations and profitability were brought forward in the text. There is new material on experimental design, a reduced emphasis on acceptance sampling, and enhanced attention to the managerial and organizational aspects of quality control. Free SPC expert software is packaged with the text for use as a statistical and graphical tool. Text plus 3.5" diskette. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Undisputably the best for practitioners in this field!
This book has been around for about half a century, yet it is still the very best among just about as many similar titles in SQC. It is full of statistical and practical insights into all that a quality practitioner needs to know about the subject. I used the book as a student, and am still using it as a professor, and as an Academician of the International Academy for Quality.

Undisputably the best for practitioners in this field.
This book has been around for about half century, yet it is still the very best among just about as many similar titles in SQC. It is full of statistical and practical insights into all that a quality practitioner needs to know about the subject. I used the book as a student, and am still using this book as a professor, and as an Academician of the International Academy for Quality.

A Qaulity Control Engineer's desk reference
It has not been easy to find a book on Quality Control which covers all the basics and depth on this subject. This is ONE book which I strongly recommend to all readers who wish to analyse the different methods in Statistical Quality Control. Many readers, will be surprised, just like me on the depth of the material. The organisation and presentation of the material is first class. Although this book is usable in college level teaching in this subject, but I find it much more meaningful as a practicing guide. The writers have demonstrated their wealth of knowledge in this book. I guarded it as a MUST read book for practioner in SQC. ... Read more

Book Description

The complete guide to analyzing and maximizing a company's balanced scorecard
Presenting the next step for balanced scorecard implementation, Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics provides a step-by-step methodology for analyzing the effectiveness of a company's balanced scorecard and the tools to reevaluate balanced scorecard measures to drive maximum performance. CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, vice presidents, department managers, and business consultants will find all the essential tools for analyzing a balanced scorecard methodology to determine if it's running at maximum performance and for seamlessly implementing changes into the scorecard.
Paul R. Niven (San Marcos, CA) is President of the Senalosa Group, a consulting firm exclusively dedicated to helping businesses get best-in-class performance. He is the author of two successful books, Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step (0-471-07872-7) and Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step for Government and Nonprofit Agencies (0-471-42328-9), both from Wiley. ... Read more

Book Description

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO STRIVING FOR PERFECTION IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD

Six Sigma in many organizations simply means defining and measuring quality; a working system designed to identify that elusive goal, perfection. Companies such as GE, Microsoft, and 3M have used this approach to eliminate product defects, reduce cycle time, and improve customer satisfaction. Six Sigma may sound intimidating, but the fact is that you don't have to be a high-level executive at a giant corporation to use—or understand—this concept. It is simply a way of improving quality.

Getting Started in Six Sigma is designed to show you, step by step, how Six Sigma works and how it can be used most effectively. Whether you're a manager trying to change your approach to problem solving or an employee in a corporation with a Six Sigma program, this book will clearly lead you through each step of the process. Definitions within the margins—placed at points of discussion—will help you to quickly master Six Sigma terminology as you read along.

In a straightforward and accessible style, Getting Started in Six Sigma will familiarize you with:

• The real meaning of Six Sigma—technical and philosophical
• The importance of both internal and external customers
• DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)—the tactical approach to Six Sigma projects
• Product and service defects and how to reduce them
• Effectively improving process systems
• Striving for consistency

Filled with numerous examples, checklists, and graphics, Getting Started in Six Sigma will help you gain a firm understanding of the topic and illustrate how this idea can make any organization function better. ... Read more

Book Description

The House of Quality (QFD) in a Minute is written with two major objectives. First, to introduce the reader to the basics of Quality Function Deployment (QFD)which is now widely used in major corporations and second, to get the practitioner ready to use QFD without extensive training and seminars that may end up being very costly. In this book, we have demonstrated in simple form how other techniques such as the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) can be used within the QFD chart. It is also important that the reader understands the role of QFD within the overall quality imperative of a firm. As a result, we have added chapters to demonstrate the link between QFD and other important quality programs such as quality control charts and concurrent engineering. QFD is also shown to be part of the organization's business strategy. The need to integrate QFD within the firm's strategic plan is also demonstrated. Evidently, the driving force behind the use of QFD is to help the firm design products and services that satisfy customer requirements by listening to the voice of the customer. We have also shown that through the application of QFD, a firm can improve its productivity, control costs, increase market share, remain in business and remain competitive.

Another major feature of this book can be seen from its title, House of Quality in a Minute. It is precise and direct. The reader with no knowledge of the topic can read this entire book quickly and begin to apply the concepts. The book covers topics such as the voice of the customer, designing house of quality, analytic hierarchy process, benchmarking, strategic planning, statistical quality control, product design, concurrent engineering, cost control and productivity improvement as they relate to quality function deployment and the overall quality imperative of a firm. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent introduction to QFD
I routinely use QFD and have always cited Cohen's "Quality Function Deployment" (ISBN 0201633302) as the best reference on this powerful technique. The problem with Cohen's book is that the pace, detail and depth quickly causes someone wanting to learn the basics to throw up their hands. This excellent guide, on the other hand, is one of the clearest, beginner-friendly introductions to QFD I've come across.

The main reasons I like this book include the fact that it does not skim over the hard stuff, such as analytical hierarchy process - an absolute necessity for effectively using QFD - and the way the author breaks down the key elements of QFD into manageable chunks that make learning it easy. I especially like the fact that this book does such a complete job of describing a complex subject in approximately 100 pages. That alone is no small feat.

All of the essentials are covered - capturing the voice of the customer, correlation, benchmarking, and how to use QFD in common scenarios, such as product development, strategic planning, and advanced uses such as concurrent engineering and in conjunction with SPC.

The best thing I can say about this book is, because it makes learning QFD easy, and does so the right way, it advances this technique and will make it more mainstream. For that I congratulate the author, and highly recommend this book as the starting point. As an aside, if you use Visio for business or technical diagrams that product ships with a QFD template that will make it not only easy to follow the examples in this book, but to jumpstart your use of QFD in realworld settings.

Get a head start on QFD
Excellent. Has guided me to implement QFD at work. It is easy to read and understand. Material sometimes is condensed but worth reading. It is a good beginning for those interested in applying QFD.

House of quality
Truly a "House of quality." As the author stated, it is a basic book to introduce the user on this important concept. It is easy to read and meets all my expectations. I especially enjoyed the links with other areas of quality management. The book could have been made bigger with more examples but it is very cohesive as it stands. It is a must read to all interested in quality function deployment especially starters like me.

House of Quality (QFD) in a Minute
Excellent book. Starts from basic principles and developes the practical utility and applications of Quality function Deployment in industry and management. This book clearly demonstrates in a very simple and rudimentary way, how the understanding and application of QFD can improve a firm's productivity, market share and bottom line. This has been of tremendous help to myself and my employees. If you want a direct and precise introduction to QFD, this book is definitely for you.

Not What it Pretends To Be !
The book what a huge dissapointment. For one it barely touches on the topic QFD.

The general babble about every other topic is basic and uninspiring.

I returned this book the next day it was that bad.

If you are looking for a basic primer on the topic of quality then this book is for you.

If you are looking for a tool to learn about the basic of how you approach and build a QFD house, then this is definitely not what you are looking for. ... Read more

Book Description

This provocative book by a Japanese executive shows that the keys to business success in the West are the proven techniques of the Far East successful strategic planning and its conservative execution. Strategy in the classic military sense is deploying your forces to achieve a competitive advantage. Concentrating on the thought processes behind Japan's successful strategic thinking, this book describes what strategic thinking is and presents concepts and concrete examples for its application. Only by integrating the three C's in a strategic triangle Customer, Competitor, and Company can sustained competitive advantage exist. Business managers at all levels can benefit from this 'how to think about it' guide by developing profitable and creative strategies. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Creating the right mind-set for strategy formulation
Kenichi Ohmae was Chairman of the Japan office of McKinsey & Company, the world-famous strategy consulting firm. He has been described as "Mr. Strategy" and has written several books and articles on strategy-related topics.

Kenichi Ohmae believes that successful business strategies do not result from rigorous analysis but from a particular state of mind. "In what I call the mind of the strategist, insight and consequent drive for achievement, often amounting to a sense of mission, fuel a thought process which is basically creative and intuitive rather than rational." He uses theoretical knowledge from the various academic scholars and puts them in its place - "a place distinctly secondary to creative intuition in the tool kit of the successful strategist." The book split up in three parts, each consisting of 5 to 7 chapters.

In Part I - The Art of Strategic Thinking, the author concentrates on the basics of the mental process. In Chapter 1 - Analysis: The Starting Point, Ohmae introduces the strategic thinking process. He introduces various useful diagrams and flow processes for a more reliable recipe for success: "the combination of analytical method and mental elasticity that I call strategic thinking." In the chapters 2 to 6, the author explores the different directions the strategic thinker can pursue in quest of innovative strategies. In the final chapter of Part I, Ohmae explains how the right mindset for strategic thinking and how to develop the required strategy.

In Part II - Building Successful Strategies, Ohmae shifts his focus from process to content. "In the construction of any business strategy, three main players must be taken into account: the corporation itself, the customer, and the competition." He refers to them as the three C's or the strategic triangle. Within the next three chapters, Ohmae discusses the strategies based on those three C's: (1) "Customer-based strategies are the basis of all strategy. ... There is no doubt that a corporation's foremost concern ought to be the interest of its customers rather than that of its stockholders and other parties. In the long run, the corporation that is genuinely interested in its customers is the one that will be interesting to investors." (2) "Corporate-based strategies are functional. Their aim to maximize the corporation's strenghts relative to the competition in the functional areas that are critical to success in the industry." (3) "Competitor-based strategies can be constructed by looking at possible sources of differentiation in functions ranging from purchasing, design, and engineering to sales and servicing. The main point to remember is that any difference between you and your competitors must be related to one or more of the three elements that jointly determine profit: price, volume, and cost." In the final chapter of Part II, Ohmae discusses corporate strategy. He claims that corporate strategy needs to address two issues: First, the integration between the individual business and the total corporation. And second, should there be a corporate strategy that is different from the individual business.

Part III - Modern Strategic Realities discusses the environmental factors influencing strategy thinking and strategy formulation. The chapters in this part are not as much related to each other as the previous parts. Ohmae identifies and discusses five economic trends that have an impact on long-term business strategies, whereby he notes that the strategic thinker needs to take those trends into consideration when shaping strategies. Due to those economic trends, seven major changes are ongoing in a global perspective. Ohmae discusses those seven changes in a very interesting chapter 14. In the next chapter, the author discusses the various myths and realities about Japan products and Japanese companies, and discusses the four main differences between Japanese and Western companies. This chapter provides some great insights into Japanese strategic and business thinking. In Chapter 16, Ohmae tackles strategic decision making. Ohmae believes that founders of successful businesses do not simply gamble. In his opinion entrepreneurs follow a five-step process for successful, foresighted management decision making: (1) Clear definition of the business domain. (2) Logical hypothesis based on an extrapolation of forces at work in the business environment. (3) Focus on a few strategic options, instead of many, open to the business. (4) The company must pace its strategy and not overreach itself. (5) Management must be prepared to change the basic direction of the business, if conditions demand it. Each of these five steps are discussed in detail. In the final chapter of the book, the author discusses strategy formulation: "... to bring insight to fruition as a successful strategy takes method, mental discipline, and plain hard work." He also discusses the creativity required for the development of business strategy.

Yes, I do like this book. And yes, I do find it difficult to write a review about it. This book is not a guide or framework into Japanese strategic thinking. In fact, Ohmae only really spends one chapter on the difference between Japanese and Western business systems. It is more about the right mind-set for strategy formulation and strategy development. There are some great lines in this book, and the various figures, diagrams and sketches are extremely useful. I wish that I had read this book several years ago as it gives great insights into the strategy process and development. But again, this book is not a guide or framework. It is an excellent complement to books such Porter's 'Competitive Strategy' (1980) and 'Competitive Advantage' (1985). Highly recommended to anybody interested in strategic management and strategy development/process. The authors uses a very simple US-English writing style.

Not only a business book, but also a HOW TO THINK TRAINING
This is the best book I have ever read about Strategic Thinking. What is different and not existing in other popular books as 'Thinking Strategically, Co-opetition, Leading the Revolution, Competitive Strategy...' etc is HOW to think instead of WHAT to think.

The book's main chapter's include the following competencies:

Part I-The Art of Strategic Thinking:
--> What is strategy?
--> What can be the possible ways to overcome competitor?
--> How strategic mind should work?
(Instead of analysis to idea, idea to analysis)

Part II-Building Successful Strategies:
--> Define yourself - the corporation
--> Define the others - the competition
--> Define the rewarders - the consumers
--> And finally define the above 3C in one map

Part III-Modern Strategic Realities:
--> What is the affect of economic environment to 3C's?
--> How to cope with strategic changes?
--> A case analysis: A nations strategic gain: Japan
--> How to project the future 3C's?
--> And finally is there a strategic success formula?

The main thing I captured from the book is: strategic thinking is a way of life, not a special time event. Working in a US multinational for years, I am more and more aware of the facts and success path defined by Mr. Ohmae - McKinsey guru. Especially, determining the strategic degrees of freedom of any issue (can be a business issue, or a weekend tennis journey, or even life -I applied-) and determining the actions to take to get the determined result is the best thing I learned.

This is a short book (wrt to other strategic management books) but it teaches how to think instead of popular strategy methods.
It is a must read & can be taken as foreword of all business books.

Packed with Knowledge!
This book, first published in Japan in 1975, is a somewhat dated classic, since the first edition appeared at the high water mark of Japanese competitiveness. Japan's economic doldrums since 1990 probably ensure that few business people will emulate it now. In a way, the fact that the bloom is off Japan's chrysanthemum makes this book more useful and relevant than it was a quarter-century ago. Now that people aren't starry-eyed about Japan, it's possible to sort through the recommendations, take them with a grain of salt and find their deeper usefulness. The author is a famous McKinsey consultant, so the book is packed with charts and jargon. Ignore the jargon, the obsolete observations about how U.S. companies organize themselves and the anachronisms about Soviet-style central planning, now a relic. Focus instead on the examples and asides. We also note that this is a must-read for anyone working in Japan or competing against Japanese companies, if only because so many Japanese managers give it to their new hires as part of their training programs.

DATED, DRAGGY, AND JUST MONUMENTALLY USELESS, EVEN IN JAPAN
For one thing, do not expect to learn anything about "Japanese Business", which seemed to have played out well for this title commercially in 1975, when Japan was this mysterious Godzilla across the Pacific.

Nothing, that is, aside from some pithy insights such as: "Actually japanese companies do not really have a strategic planning capability, they usually have one person, or a few persons, who has/have an intuitive pulse of the market."

Intrigued yet? There's more. You'll learn that strategy is the art of thinking on three major vectors: company based, customer based and competitor based. You can enjoy a truckload of charts and jargon. You can savor dated explanations of how American companies organize themselves and the anachronisms about Soviet-style central planning (I can recognize a relic when I see one.)

Guess I bought an expensive paperweight. Do yourself a favor and ignore the drooling reviews this book has garnered as recently as last month. Look instead for names like Porter, Drucker and Mintzberg.

Essential reading for all Managers
Last week I received an identical request from two sources to recommend a good book on business strategy. One is a first year MBA student and another a senior executive in a large multinational. Without hesitation, I recommended this book.

Strategy has been a subject matter of interest to Business and Military than to any other profession. In both these cases it is a about doing something differently to gain advantage over the adversary either in the battlefield or in the marketplace. Strategy is not just a piece of paper or a corporate manual but a state of the mind to win against all odds. So many books and theories have been written on this subject and still it continues to be a topic that cannot be defined as an exact science. If there is one topic that can be listed as the most important for any MBA program, undoubtedly it is Business Strategy.

Another reason for revisiting this book is that in the last decade, we have been overloaded with concepts of digitization and technology as the main drivers of business. We have seen technologies that are excellent but have failed miserably in the marketplace. Technocrats have failed to convert bits and bytes into bucks. In the quest for technical excellence, strategy has taken a back seat. We need to fill this vacuum of strategic thinking.

But then the problem is to have a strategy to understand and apply this vital topic ! It is here that this book is one among the best I have come across till date.

Strategy is a combination of elastic thinking and application of analytical method. Omahe explains this well and warns that strategy is not just somebody's spark of genius but a process that needs rigorous effort and continuos refinement. He brings in the framework of listing the concrete phenomena, grouping, abstraction and determination of approach that are actionable and practical. The three Cs' of the strategic triangle - Corporation, Customer and Competitor are at the core of this book. Each C is discussed in detail with excellent illustrations and case studies.

If you need to read an executive summary, I recommend Chapter 7 - The Secret of Strategic Vision. In this chapter one paragraph in my opinion contains the essence of strategic thinking.

"Strategic thinking in business must break out of the limited scope of vision that entraps deer on the highway. It must be backed by the daily use of imagination and by constant training in logical thought process. Success must be summoned; it will not come unbidden and unplanned. Top management and its corporate planners cannot base their day-to-day work on blind optimism and apply strategic thinking only when confronted by unexpected obstacles. They must develop the habit of thinking strategically, and must do it as a matter of course. Ideally, they must approach it with real enthusiasm as a stimulating mental exercise."

The book was first published in 1982. Hence some of the assumptions on key economic trends under "Modern Strategic Realities" have undergone major corrections. However, the framework for strategic thinking still holds good. Though the examples are mostly from Japanese companies, Omahe concludes the book by pointing out that " Creativity, mental productivity and the power of strategic insight know no national boundaries. Fortunately for all of us, they are universal." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting integration of two major quality frameworks
This book is also available as an e-book (see ISBN B0000AJ68G). Regardless of which format you choose, the content is one of the best descriptions of ISO 9001:2000 and the CMMI - and how to use them as an integrated approach to achieve a high level of capability maturity.

The authors provide a summary of process improvement approaches, including frameworks and interrelationships among them. There is excellent background information on the CMMI and how it evolved from the older CMM. This also includes early work by the FAA with its iCMM approach.

In the parts of the book dealing with ISO 9001 the authors show the key differences between ISO 9001:94 and ISO 9001:2000, and provide a context and value proposition for them. The significant changes between the 1994 and 2000 versions of ISO 9001 are covered in detail. W

Another key feature of this book is the section on making the transition from legacy standards. This is where the differences between CMM and CMMI, and ISO 9001:1994 and ISO 9001:2000 are clearly highlighted. If you are currently operating under either the older CMM or ISO 9001:94 framework, this section of the book also provides clear guidance for making the transition to the CMMI and ISO 9001:2000. This guidance is in the form of a five-step approach for either implementing anew, or making the transition from a legacy framework - (1) initiating, (2) diagnosing, (3)establishing, (4) acting, and (5) learning. The authors also provide ISO 9001:2000->CMMI and CMMI->ISO 9001:2000 document mapping, which will cut through the maze and show how to reduce unnecessary documentation by integrating documentation where possible.

The authors have produced a book that is exceptionally well written, clarifies two complex frameworks, and shows how they can be used in conjunction with one another.

delivers what it promisses
the book brings together two recently updated, important standards for (software) quality management: CMMI and ISO 9001.
the book is thoroughly set up and structured, easy to interpret and navigate with all the necessary mappings and tables, and
systematic considerations of process improvement approaches.
also of interest for people only focussing on the CMMI and not ISO. well done! ... Read more

Book Description

It is common knowledge that CEOs declare their direct reports as a "team at the top." Yet with a culture of individual accountability and self-reliance prevading executive suites, few management groups ever function as real teams. Now, in a natural follow-up to his bestselling The Wisdom of Teams, John Katzenbach moves his focus farther up the organizational ladder to offer practical guidelines for increasing leadership capacity at the highest executive levels. In Terms at the Top, he shows how even the strongest and most successful CEO can improve a company's performance by turning the senior executive group into a real team-without sacrificing each member's individual leadership capabilities. Teams at the Top explains how to recognize when a team effort at the management level is preferable and when a work group under single leadership will do. Then, the book shows how to develop the capability to shift into whichever mode is appropriate. With stories and examples from well-known companies including Enron, Ben & Jerry's, Champion, Citicorp, and Mobile, as well as lessons that are applicable for management groups anywhere in the organization, Teams at the Top will help companies of all sizes and in all industries maximize the full potential of their leadership. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Delicate but Essential Balance
In one of his several brilliant studies of leadership, Organizing Genius, Warren Bennis examines high-performance teams such as those associated with the Disney studios (which created the first full-length animation film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), the Manhattan Project, Xerox's PARC, and Lockheed's "Skunk Works." But if your own organization has few (if any) geniuses, what are the best strategies for unleashing the potential of both collaborative teamwork and individual leadership? Katzenbach is himself the author or co-author of a number of brilliantly conceived and executed studies, notably The Wisdom of Teams and Real Change Leaders. In this book, his central thesis is that "an integrated balance of real team, individual, and single-leader working group performance is both possible and desirable at the top -- not that one mode is intrinsically better than the other." The key phrase is "integrated balance." Whatever the size and nature of your organization, Katzenbach offers "three major messages":

1. The best senior leadership groups are rarely a true team at the top -- although they can and do function as real teams when major, unexpected events prompt that behavior.

2. Most of the team members can optimize their performance as a group by consciously working to obtain a better balance between their team and non-team efforts -- rather than by trying to become an ongoing single team.

3. The secret to better balance lies in learning to integrate the discipline required for team performance with the discipline of executive (single-leader) behavior -- not in replacing one with the other.

This third "message" is especially relevant to smaller companies, probably privately-owned, in which the CEO (the archetypical single-leader) is either the founder or related to the founder. In such companies, the need for an "integrated balance" may be even greater than it is for much larger organizations. Katzenbach organizes his material within nine chapters. Rather than list their titles, I have selected a few key passages which, hopefully, will suggest the potential value of this book to you and your own organization's specific needs and interests.

Executive Leadership Discipline requires an individual to "create and maintain urgency, resolve the critical strategic issues, enforce individual accountability, leverage executive time, make the tough decisions individually, pick the best individuals for the key jobs, and periodically raise the bar." (Chapter One)

"The notion of 'leadership capacity' implies a system of leadership, if you will, that can extract leadership wisdom, insight, and behaviors from many more individuals. [This is obviously essential to concensus-building.] Thus it fuels the continuing search for different kinds of leadership approaches, both individual and joint, at all levels of the organization." (Chapter Three)

Team Leadership Discipline requires members to "create a meaningful purpose, commit to a team performance goals, be mutually accountable (no member can fail... only the team fails), commit to real work, share decision among members, strive for the right skill mix, and establish the height of the bar." (Chapter Four)

"Integrating real team performance with executive leadership performance requires both a sharp understanding of the differences between the two two disciplines required and a relentless determination to integrate the two. It is hard work, counterintuitive, and outside the comfort zone of most senior executives. Nevertheless, it is well worth the effort." (Chapter Nine)

In Appendix B, Katzenbach offers this definition of a real team: "A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable." My own opinion is that unless an organization has the two disciplines (both executive leadership and team leadership) in appropriate balance, it will probably have neither. Hopefully, this brief commentary will encourage you to read and then re-read this important book. Also, to check out the other books authored or co-authored by Katzenbach.

Misses the Point
I was hugely disappointed with this book. It held such promise of addressing one of the most important barriers to building collaborative behavior in organizations---the behavior of the senior people.

Throughout the book the author seemed to defend the hierarchical behavior of senior executives and diminish team benefits. And it completely missed the essence of teams which is collaboration. Phrases such as "amorphous groups with overlapping responsibilities," "disrupt the natural order of things," "seldom the best way to get normal work accomplished or routine problems solved," "seldom the fastest way for a group with an experienced, capable leader to get where they are going," "time-consuming 'forming, norming, and storming' stuff," had me wondering if the author really understands collaboration.

This book may do more to maintain the traditional topdown, hierarchical decision making model than to foster real collaboration and teamwork. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is the most comprehensive guide to leading a training session or workshop ever published. This ``soup-to-nuts" reference answers just about every question a trainer/facilitator might have about leading a successful training program, from motivating participants to measuring the results. Based on 25 years of workshop experience, the book features hundreds of professional tips and tricks, plus reproducible materials to use at every step of the training process. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A mixed blessing
This is the most useful Training book I've come across in a long time. I find myself referring to it often. However, it is in desperate need of editing. It could easily be cut down by 1/3 - and that would make it much better.

Did anyone edit this book?
It is tragic to find wonderful research compiled into a book wrought with spelling, grammatical, and sentence structure errors. Unnecessary comments by the author makes reading even more tedious. A new edition with a good editor would make this book priceless.

A must for people in the workshop business!
"Ultimate" and "comprehensive" are the key words in the title that set this handbook apart from the others. They say it all - over 600 pages of checklists, diagrams, models, and examples covering every topic of the workshop business. And you are given permission to copy pages for personal workshop use! When paging through the book I began to play a game - he must have missed something! Well, whatever it is, I'm still looking... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Job
This book is very well written and contains a lot of information about quality management. I recommend this book for anyone seeking to know more about how to improve quality. ... Read more

Book Description

The author's objective is to show managers how to build quality into all aspects of a company's operations thereby lowering costs, increasing sales, and boosting profits and do all this without the typical bureaucratic controls and procedures that merely hassle people without producing the desired results. Real situation and amusing fictional case histories are used to demonstrate that problems of quality and hassle are caused by management action. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Quality Carol
In Quality Without Tears, Crosby adds new layers to his original "zero defects" philosophy. He offers fourteen steps for quality improvement in teams.

Let's look at one of them, Step 6, "corrective action." The common problem with "corrective action," says Crosby, is that people don't understand what the term means.

Suppose, says Crosby, that you suddenly found a grizzly bear in your back yard: "The answer would not be to set up an armed camp to protect yourself from the bear. This is the sort of action that takes place when parts of an organization are given a shoot-to-kill license. All that results is a lot of yard that can't be used and several dead bears."

Corrective actions have to begin by identifying the source of the bears.

Another step is Zero Defects Day: "Many people rarely have exciting days at work . . . A well-planned, dignified, Zero Defects Day on which management understands what it is talking about is a delight that will be remembered forever."

Recognition also plays a role. An organization recognizes people who can serve as "beacons." These are the people who shine so brightly that they help keep everyone heading in the right direction:

"Many managers feel, somewhat cynically, that people are being paid to do their jobs and that's that. This attitude reflects an insensitivity to people that is a trademark of many hockey-style managers."

To drive his philosophy home, Crosby cites an unusual case study:

In "A Quality Carol," Emory Spellman falls asleep on a bus. A spirit appears and takes him to see his deceased partner. The partner is repairing thousands of defective items that their company has made.

This is punishment ...

"... For being the cause of the hassle other people had to live with. For not preventing these things by being interested in quality."

The apparition warns:

"All these years, you have treated quality like something you could take in or take out. Well, unless you change your ways, you are going to wind up right next to me, forever and ever, twenty-four hours a day. No time off, no visitors, no meetings ---- just all the problems you ever caused."

Predictably, three more visitors appear.

Quality Past is a former college professor who wants to retract something he had taught Emory. The misinformed lesson was to cut corners on quality.

Quality Present appears as a woman who tries to sell him on the quality vaccine. Failing in that, she brings Emory's customers to him through a television screen. One after another comes into view with a litany of complaints about the company's products and services.

When Quality Future enters, Emory finally sees the light. The final and most portentous visitor is a "severe looking person carrying a briefcase and dressed in a black three-piece suit." He has just bought the company from a bankruptcy court.

Emory returns later in the book and applies Crosby's methods to avert that fate.

A man with conviction
Philip Crosby is widely recognized as a quality pioneer for the concepts he drove homw with Quality is Free and Quality Without Tears. After reading, Quality Without Tears, I was struck by how deep a conviction he held that his concepts were valid. It's easy to say that now that they have become widely accepted, but it takes a visionary to act that way when they're a somewehat new approach.

The concepts which Crosby developed were a extension of the work of Dr. Edwards Deming (who also has published a bunch of books) and Crosby's work seems to be the basis of the later Six Sigma approach that proved to work so well.

The best summary of achieving manufacturing quality.
Phil Crosby has the most coherent view of achieving quality of anyone I've read in 25 years of management. I continue to come back to him when I hit a quality problem in our company or those from whom we buy. This book is the best summary of his philosophy, in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description

Taking the mystery out of Six Sigma implementation

This easy-to-understand reference in the popular Demystified series teaches the methods of Six Sigma, explains their applications, and tests expertise without confusing statistics and formulas. Expert Paul Keller and Six Sigma guru Tom Pyzdek describe helpful tools for Six Sigma teams, identifying their uses, limitations, and application during multiple stages of DMAIC. They also outline additional tools for full effectiveness and provide necessary calculations and assumptions. In addition, they provide:

• Detailed examples and diagrams
• Practical exercises and complete solutions
• A final exam to test overall knowledge
• Materials ideal for self-study or for training groups of Black Belts and Green Belts

Book Description

To understand and profit from Total Quality Management, companies must pay particular attention to the first word in the phrase—total. The spectacular rewards enjoyed by top companies like 3M, FedEx, and Ben & Jerry's were earned through a total commitment to achieving superior quality and customer satisfaction across all company functions and processes.

Total Quality Management, Second Edition gives you a completely up-to-date look at how 51 of the world's most successful companies put the total into TQM. Each of these companies, including 13 new additions and 23 Baldrige Award winners, is cited as a benchmark performer in a particular business function. Their examples help you set your sights on specific goals and learn a variety of ways to go about achieving each goal. Each chapter features the best practices of one manufacturing company, one service company, and one small business. Following the examples set by these overachievers, you'll discover how to:

• Lead the transition from traditional management to management by quality
• Identify customer needs and use that knowledge to drive the organization
• Integrate strategic quality and business planning into a single strategic process
• Communicate customer and company requirements throughout your organization
• Recognize and reward employee efforts and promote improved quality
• Establish uniform measurement systems and manage by fact, not fiction
• Borrow shamelessly from industry leaders to encourage breakthrough thinking
• Build strengths and eliminate weaknesses through an annual assessment process.

Fully updated—the book that puts the total into.

Total Quality Management.

In this book, the former chairman of the Baldrige Award panel of judges teams up once again with a leading quality consultant to bring you a Baldrige-based TQM model that covers every aspect of your business. Built from the best practices of 51 companies (including 23 Baldrige Award winners) whose star performances have made them benchmark corporations, this book brings you:

• Best practices and TQM applications from small businesses, huge corporations, and everything in between
• TQM practices from retail stores, service companies, manufacturers, and more
• Hundreds of real-world examples, tested processes, and innovative techniques
• Proven ways to boost profits, inspire workers, and delight customers.

Praise for the First Edition

"Alive . . . vivid, entertaining, successful. . . . Even the most inexperienced can understand and implement TQM using this book."—Charles A. Aubrey Vice President, Juran Institute.

"If you read only one book about quality management, read this one . . . the definitive management handbook of the decade."—Lynn A. Moline Former Executive Director, Minnesota Council for Quality.

"A great book about a better way to run a company."—Bob G. Gower President and CEO, Lyondell Petrochemical Co.

"Packed with strategies that can be implemented in any organization . . . must reading for those interested in proven quality strategies."—Ellen Gaucher Senior Associate Director, University of Michigan Medical Center

"Get it. This book is jammed full of practical case studies from a management and profitability perspective."—C. Jackson Grayson Jr. Chairman, American Productivity and Quality Center.

Supplemented with an updated list of resources and a contact list for all profiled companies, Total Quality Management, Second Edition shows you how to lead your organization straight to the cutting edge of quality and keep it there. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

How should TQM be implemented, read the examples!
he Baldrigde Quality System quantifies the quality of a company with a score from zero to a thousand points. Even the best companies are far behind the thousand point limit, but the writers found 53 examples that, at least for one aspect, owe almost the maximum of the available points. Ben&Jerry's, Ford, 3M and AT&T are just a few of the companies that have provided information for the book. Still the book is not a list of 'perfect case examples' but the writers managed to let the theory and practice explain solutions to daily problems and improved management techniques. Although none of the issues dealt with is explained in the smallest detail or with an extensive number of examples, but this books provides a broad view for new managers or managers new to TQM. ... Read more

Book Description

Following the success of the Essential Manager's Manual, which continues to appear on the Top 10 best-selling Business Books list- Managing for Excellence is sure to be another top seller. Includes over 1,200 tips provide quick-and-easy reference that help achieve a high level of excellence in business, clear and easy-to-follow charts, and diagrams that explore different paths of action. An excellent value for the money! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

EXCELLENT MANAGEMENT TIPS
"Managing For Excellence" is a portable well-illustrated handbook, which harbours all the essential tips for improving (individual) performance. The book is very straightforward. It is comprehensive, and highlights all the important factors that strengthen and weakens partnerships.
This is one book which helps its user to better understand strategies and improve output. It is superbly organized, and presents its techniques in a practical format.
However, anyone who already has the "Successful Manager's Handbook" need not spend on this one. Both books contain similar information. ... Read more

Book Description

A simple, take-along guide to achieving lasting business results

A companion to the bestselling Rath & Strong Pocket Guide to Six Sigma, Rath & Strong's Pocket Guide to Advanced Six Sigma Tools is designed to help Six Sigma black belts, green belts, and team leaders from every field to implement the most powerful tools in Six Sigma without getting bogged down in statistical theory.

This pocket-sized field guide provides practical advice on the use of advanced tools, such as: sampling, analysis of variance, multiple regression, and design of experiments.  Each tool is explained in easy-to-understand language, permitting the reader to solve real-world problems in any area of business.

• Covers step-by-step implementation of the most important Six Sigma tools.
• Features a heavy emphasis on applying the best tools to solve practical business problems.

Explains how to use Microsoft Excel and Minitab statistical software to simplify the process.

Reviews (1)

Pocket Guide / Advanced Tools?
While the terms "advanced tools" and "pocket guide" may seem incongruous in the same sentence, Rath & Strong has managed to package the essence of higher statistical tool use in a concise and accurate guide which does - as advertised - fit into a shirt pocket.

We have found a use for this book as well as the "Six Sigma Pocket Guide" amongst our Black Belts. Many times, it is reached for over the more thorough (and not so small) "Implementing Six Sigma" by Forrest W. Breyfogle.

Anyone who did not really cement the higher statistical concepts in the 2 - 4 weeks that most Six Sigma training allows should benefit from this book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Very Helpful Tool For Learning How to Earn More!
This book is a great tool to use if you know you are earning less than you deserve, or have done so in the past. It helps you bring to light patterns within you that contribute to underearning, and gives practical and spiritual methods for earning more money in your life. You do not have to be a chronic underearner to benefit from this book- it can benefit anyone who has had past experiences with lack. The book will help you realize you are not alone, and there are ways to release experiences of lack and limitation in your life through spiritual and practical means. Especially helpful for people who are interested in Debtors Anonymous, or feel their debt is overwhelming. It covers the 12-step program used by Debtors Anonymous, but applies it specifically to those who underearn. A powerful self-help tool!

Underearning lacks originality
"Earn What You Deserve" is a basic rehash of Mundis' earlier book "How to get out of debt, stay out of debt and live prosperously." with an emphasis on what he calls underearning. Unfortunately, not only does the material in "Earn What You Deserve" lack originality, but it borrows heavily from the earlier book; in many cases entire pages of vertbatim quotes are used. This is a cheap writer's trick that Mundis employs by creating "filler pages" of earlier text. Buyers, save your money; buy the original (it's a pretty good book) but don't waste your money on this rewrite.

12 Step Program for Underearning
I first read a book written by Mundis when looking for help with my cronic writer's block, and while his system didn't produce an instant cure it continues to give me a bit of understanding and support for times when the pen won't write and the keys won't move. Like many writers Mundis confesses to periods of ineritia, and underactivity, and uses the 12 Steps to help guide the underemployed and underpaid to rightful livelihood. This is not an business book in the strict sense, he's more a kindly godfather whispering good advice, and dishing out the daily chores for making a living. If you wonder why your friends always seem to have more, why raises never come to you and why you are always starting over, the answers are here; and the advice is reasonable even for people adverse or unwilling to do a 12 Step program,

Excellent book on prospering
This book changed the way I look at money. I started making more money one week after starting to read this book. I have made substantally more money each and every year since.

How to earn the wealth you deserve!
Mundis should be applauded - many of us can save, even invest, but really are not earning our true potential. Mundis begins by telling us his own story, showing us that he had a real underearning problem, but was able to conquer it. What impressed me most are his three big 'rules', such as NEVER turn down money, etc. They have helped me immensely in my own life. Also, he forces us to really take a look at how we look at money; many of us have beliefs that are really killing us financially and must be changed. A well-written, extremely helpful handbook on a problem which I just have not seen written about elsewhere. ... Read more

Book Description

Hailed by Time magazine as the "leading evangelist of quality," Philip Crosby has emerged as one of the century's greatest management thinkers. Now, in this autobiography, the person most responsible for the quality revolution in American business shares the ideas and insights he's gathered over the course of an eventful, forty-year career. A talented storyteller, Crosby recounts his years as vice president of ITT, his working relationship with the legAndary Harold Geneen, and the launch--and re-launch--of his own consulting practice. Quality and Me is an intimate, informative portrait of the man who changed the way quality management is practiced today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another entertaining and educational book from Phil Crosby
Philip Crosby uses his life story to entertain and educate the reader.His "lessons learned" throughout the book are simple, practical and should be paid attention to.I enjoyed 'Quality & Me'very muchas well as learning valuable lessons to assist my own evolving life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Profound Knowledge
Deming's concepts are profound, and seemed abstract enough to require some type of meat to hang on the hooks before I could understand and apply them (especially to improving safety performance).Thanks to this concise,informative, and easy to read book, I know longer feel like I'mre-arranging the deck-chairs on