Quality Toolbox

by Nancy R. Tague

The Quality Toolbox is a comprehensive reference to a variety of methods and techniques: those most commonly used for quality improvement, many less commonly used, and some created by the author and not available elsewhere. The reader will find the widely used seven basic quality control tools (for example, fishbone diagram, and Pareto chart) as well as the newer management and planning tools. Tools are included for generating and organizing ideas, evaluating ideas, analyzing processes, determining root causes, planning, and basic data-handling and statistics. The book is written and organized to be as simple as possible to use so that anyone can find and learn new tools without a teacher. Above all, this is an instruction book. The reader can learn new tools or, for familiar tools, discover new variations or applications. It also is a reference book, organized so that a half-remembered tool can be found and reviewed easily, and the right tool to solve a particular problem or achieve a specific goal can be quickly identified. With this book close at hand, a quality improvement team becomes capable of more efficient and effective work with less assistance from a trained quality consultant. Quality and training professionals also will find it a handy reference and quick way to expand their repertoire of tools, techniques, applications, and tricks. For this second edition, Tague added 34 tools and 18 variations. The "Quality Improvement Stories" chapter has been expanded to include detailed case studies from three Baldrige Award winners. An entirely new chapter, "Mega-Tools: Quality Management Systems," puts the tools into two contexts: the historical evolution of quality improvement and the quality management systems within which the tools are used. This edition liberally uses icons with each tool description to reinforce for the reader what kind of tool it is and where it is used within the improvement process.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Reference

584 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Degenerate Chemist · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was studying for my CQE I noticed this book kept popping up as a reference in my practice exams and reading. I went ahead and bought it for that reason. I didn't have a chance to read it before taking the test and that is a shame because this is an excellent reference.

There are five chapters in this book. The first 4 cover the following: instructions on how to use the book, quality management systems, quality improvement process, and case studies in quality improvement. Chapter 5, the largest chapter, is a list of the most important tools for managing quality; control charts, brainstorming tools, FMEA, and several I had never heard of before.

This book was incredibly helpful and I will be using it as a desk reference. The decision matrix in chapter 1 is a clear, concise way to help a QE decide which tools will help solve which problems. Chapter 5 has some of the best explanations and examples of the quality tools I have ever read complete with helpful examples and pictures.

This book is not a deep dive. You aren't going to learn everything there is to know about control charts and DOE from this one but it will give you a firm starting point for understanding and implementing these tools.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book capturing the wide variety of individual quality tools for any process improvement. A great companion for any Green/ Black Belt or someone who is looking for more ways to implement improvement within their organization.

[Jatin Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a book that gives overview of quality as a tool, and will surely answer your very basic questions about quality and how to see the various tools and approach to quality strategically.