Quality / Performance

Business Book List By Category

• Achieve Lasting Process Improvement: Reach Six Sigma Goals Without the Pain
  Bennet P. Lientz and Kathryn P. Rea, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 2002.
  http://www.academicpress.com
  This book presents a common-sense, jargon-free method to improve business processes, regardless of the size, location, and nature of your organization. Using a step-by-step approach for addressing specific issues and problems, examples from numerous organizations are used to take the reader from analysis through the implementation of changes. Tips are provided to achieve Six Sigma-like results without the pain and expense, establish lasting process improvement, and motivate employees to contribute to process improvement.
  
  

• Implementing ISO 9000:2000
  Matt Seaver, Gower Publishing Company, Burlington, VT, 2001.
  http://www.gowerpub.com
  This book is a practical guide to setting up a broad-based quality management system that meets the requirements of ISO 9000:2000. It contains a detailed commentary on each of the clauses of the ISO 9004 standard, which is designed to facilitate best practices throughout an organization, and guidance on how the clauses can be implemented in a simple and practical manner. In addition, the specific requirements of ISO 9001 are addressed in detail, and practical advice given on how to implement procedures that are beneficial to the user as well as complying with requirements.
  
  

• Performance Management: Finding the Missing Pieces (to Close the Intelligence Gap)
  Gary Cokins, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2004.
  http://www.wiley.com
  Order Direct from ISM
  Performance measurement encompasses the methodologies, metrics, processes, software tools and systems that manage the performance of an organization. This book shows how to implement and refine performance management tools to make better decisions and achieve greater results. A useful resource for strategic purchasing organizations, the book includes sections on balanced scorecards, activity-based management, Six Sigma, lean thinking and competitive intelligence.
  
  

• Quality Beyond Six Sigma
  Ron Basu and J. Nevan Wright, Butterworth-Heinemann, Woburn, MA, 2003.
  http://www.bh.com
  Using case studies, review examples, and self-assessment tools, this book responds the challenge of how small and medium-sized enterprises or the service industry can use Six Sigma to improve quality performance. It provides practical implementation strategies for Six Sigma, Lean Enterprise, and Total Quality issues, and aligns the "hard" sigma message with softer sustainable strategic issues into "Fit Sigma," a holistic approach that the authors have designed to fit the needs of all types of businesses.
  
  

• Six Sigma Deployment
  Cary W. Adams, Praveen Gupta and Charles E. Wilson, Jr., Butterworth-Heinemann, Woburn, MA, 2003.
  http://www.bh.com
  Six Sigma Deployment is a hands-on comprehensive guide that provides a practical approach to implementing a Six Sigma program. The authors have attempted to differentiate this book from other books in describing key aspects of Six Sigma methodologies, such as strategic plan, project selection, Black Belt training, and project management. Using case studies and a simple and understandable manner, the book demonstrates how Six Sigma complements various quality management systems and describes approaches to maximize the benefits of the Six Sigma initiative.
  
  

• Six Sigma for Managers
  Greg Brue, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 2002.
  http://books.mcgraw-hill.com
  Order Direct from ISM
  Six Sigma statistically measures and reflects true process capability, correlating to such characteristics as defects per unit and probabilities of success and failure. Its value is in transforming cultural outlooks from complacency to accomplishment across the spectrum of industry. This book assists managers in achieving greater growth and improved customer service by using Six Sigma.
  
  

• The Oliver Wight Class A Checklist for Business Excellence, Sixth Edition
  Oliver Wight International, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2005.
  http://www.wiley.com
  The first Oliver Wight checklist book on business excellence practices was published in 1988, and this sixth edition has a broader scope than earlier editions. Seeking to provide a comprehensive statement of excellence in business today, its chapters align with core business processes and spell out what needs to be done for the company to excel. ISM reviewer comment: "Firms that are interested in self-assessment will find value in this book."
  
  

• The Power of Ultimate Six Sigma: Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total Business Excellence
  Keki Bhote, AMACOM, New York, NY, 2003.
  http://www.amanet.org/books
  Six Sigma remains the most influential program for zero-defect quality excellence. With this book, Keki Bhote, a leading member of the renowned Motorola team that developed Six Sigma, provides a practical guide to the Ultimate Six Sigma™, which reclaims the transformative power of the original Six Sigma, and goes beyond it in scope and bottomline profitability across the business spectrum. The book includes timetables, case studies, and assessment audits to aid your company in gauging its current standing and measure progress.
  
  

• Transactional Six Sigma and Lean Servicing™: Leveraging Manufacturing Concepts to Achieve World-Class Service
  Betsi Harris Ehrlich, CRC/St. Lucie Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2002.
  http://www.crcpress.com
  The primary purpose of this book is to serve as a practical guide and reference for practitioners implementing Six Sigma in a transactional environment. While many books have been published on Six Sigma and lean methods for manufacturing, this book focuses on applying these techniques in a service environment. The book is geared for those new to Six Sigma and Lean Production concepts, as well as more experienced quality professionals. Case studies and examples illustrate how these techniques have been used to achieve substantial results.
  
  

• Winning Score: How to Design and Implement Organizational Scorecards
  Mark Graham Brown, Productivity Press, Portland, OR, 2000.
  http://www.productivityinc.com
  Order Direct from ISM
  This book describes how organizations must link selected metrics to their mission, values, vision, and key success factors in order to develop a balanced scorecard approach to performance measurement. Author Mark Graham Brown uses practical examples to illustrate how to choose the proper metrics, understand the difference between strategic and operational metrics, and more. The book reviews the top balanced scorecard software, provides valuable case studies and checklists, and shows companies how to get started on the road to quality performance measurement.
  
  

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