With a lack of appropriate textbooks available for the new quality management courses now proliferating at business schools, this book fills a crucial need in this growing and changing market. The authors bring a unique blend of experience to the text, including academia, consulting in manufacturing and service industries, and a strong information technology background. The text achieves a balance of both managerial and statistical coverage, with an emphasis on processes and hands-on discussion of quality tools. Case studies and extensive examples complement the text.

The text is written for a "management-oriented" course that emphasizes the managerial aspects of quality; basic statistical tools for achieving quality are also covered. The other book by Ledolter and Burrill (Statistical Quality Control: Strategies and Tools for Continual Improvement, Wiley, 1999) can be used for an in-depth discussion of statistical tools.