Scientific quality management and management science

This chapter deals with quality and quality management from the viewpoint of the management scientist. Our main focus is on the mathematical modelling and statistical research base of the scientific quality control movement. We introduce, survey and critique the technical literature in these areas and offer suggestions for fruitful future research directions. Although the primary emphasis of the chapter is on research we offer en route comments and suggestions on practice. This is an essay on research written from the perspective of a practitioner who has major concerns about the relationship between research on quality control and actual and future practice. Our goal is to encourage more practically oriented research by management scientists on quality related problems and issues. The views of the author stem from personal experience implementing statistical quality control on the shop floor in several industries, as a researcher contributing to the technical literature, as a university teacher of statistical quality control and reliability, and most recently as a consultant to the senior management of some major U.S. firms on the design and implementation of total quality m anagement efforts and as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The chapter opens with a brief discussion of the re-emerging role of quality as a central feature in the competitive strategy of modern firms. We then survey and critique the research literature in three major areas of quality control. We close with some advice to those interested in practicing what is coming to be called "Total Quality Management" or TQM.