Customer Reviews (1)

If you're reading this, you probably need this book.
This is about the only publication of Taguchi's theories that you'll be able to buy for pocket-change. Though I haven't finished it yet, it strongly resembles the contents of a seminar that used to cost more than $3,000 -- if you can remember how to use a textbook, then this is a bargain. If you've had advanced algebra, intermediate stats, or basic calculus, you should be able to handle the equations.

Taguchi's breakthrough is to evolve a method of quasi-statistical analysis (strongly resembling some elements of catastrophe theory & chaos dynamics) that can efficiently pare a multivariate real-world problem down to small handful of most-likely sets.

Don't think assembly lines here. I was introduced to Taguchi as a possible solution for consulting on how to best apply a shrinking advertising budget: you've got X dollars for the year, you can expand/cut staff, you can do billboards or flyers, TV large- or small-market, peak or way-dark hours, direct mail or Internet... or some combination of varying amounts. In short, constraining each variable to a few choices, & with a finite budget, still left literally millions of possible combinations.

It may take a few hours of head-pounding, but an understanding of Taguchi's methods might save your company thousands, or even millions. ... Read more

Product Description
This third edition provides the quality professional with an updated resource that exactly follows ASQ s Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Body of Knowledge. Today it is not uncommon for the quality engineer to be involved in quality improvement activities in healthcare, finance, education, software applications, and other non-manufacturing sectors. In response, numerous new examples and illustrations that cover applications in some of these areas have been added.Key features of the third edition include:New and updated references Extensive revision of the statistical methods, complete with numerous updated examples and illustrations Over 75 new glossary entriesThis handbook can be used in preparation for the CQE exam or as a reference text for professional development. When a complete description or discussion of a topic is beyond the scope of the handbook, useful references have been included for further reading. Quality engineers will find this book to be an indispensible addition to their libraries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook
The text is very informative and easy to read. Sections are arranged so anyone that anyone from a novice QE to a seasoned "lifer" can easily access pertinent information. Not only a good training tool,it also makes a great reference manual.

Yay - I passed
Well I passed the exam, the book helped a lot. More detailed information is required for this course but the book explains all the essential concepts.

I passed the CQE exam with help from this book
I decided to take the ASQ CQE exam in order to improve my prospects of finding a new Quality Assurance position. There were many areas of quality that I knew very well due to my previous job responsibilities, however there were a few areas I knew needed some attention. This book was very helpful in both preparing me for the exam, and serving as a reference during the test. It is presented in such a way that follows the Body of Knowledge,chapter by chapter. I was expecting the test to be very difficult, but was able to pass on my first attempt.

The book would also serve as a fine reference while on the job as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by the one of the foremost authorities on the subject, the Second Edition is completely revised to reflect the latest changes to the ASQ Body of Knowledge for the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE); covering every essential topic required by the quality engineer for day-to-day practices in planning, testing, finance, and management.Thoroughly examines and defines the principles and benefits of Six Sigma management and organization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent reference book
This book is a great compendium of the QE skills set.It is very weak on the Statistical skills that the ASQ certification test demands.

GreatResource
Why I initialy purchased it as a study aid, I have found it to be an excellent resource providing practical examples for on the job use.

Good book - can be found cheaper
New @ asq.org for less. Why is it so much higher here?

Useful and Good But ...
As other reviewers mentioned, Pyzdek can help you make it over the CQE exam hurdle. In fact it is probably helpful for those who wish to clear the CQM or CQT hurdles. It may aslo be a helpful supplament for Six-Sigma folks. The volume also serves competently as a handbook and reference. Importantly, it includes an adequate bibilography so that the reader can easily pursue more specialized or more fundamental soruces.

But ...

Neither the material nor the presentation distinguishes this book from its many competitors.

Too often the index enties have incorrect page numbers. In an age of computer automated indexing, mistakes of this kind really grate on a reader who expects more. Further, a quality handbook should set a better example!

OK - but just
I bought this book to prepare for the ASQ CQE exam.This was my primary reference book and I did pass the exam - so there must be some merit to this book.However, it is frustrating.My criticisms include:

- the index doesn't point to the right pages, making it very difficult to use (especially in an open book exam)
- some of the graphs have no labelling at all (Fig IV.28)
- some material is repeated (eg central limit theorem)

This book has some good stuff in it and is aimed at getting you through the CQE exam.It will also be useful for a practicing quality engineer.However, it is in many cases separate articles, procedures and discussions stuck together with little flow.A good review and editing would do a lot for this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume contains virtually all the information an engineer would need to function as a quality engineer. The author covers management methods and statistical methods of quality in an integrative manner –  unlike other books on the subject, which focus primarily on one of the two areas of quality.Illustrates the use of quality methods with many real world examples drawn from the author’s consulting work. Helps students understand and solve real problems with mini projects throughout. Uses a reader-friendly writing style that makes material more approachable and encourages self-study. Covers the must-know fundamentals of probability and statistics in one chapter (Chapter 2). Makes extensive use of computer software to illustrate the use of computer in solving quality problems.A useful reference for engineers and technical personnel in industry wanting to learn the tools of quality; also for candidates preparing for the exams to qualify as a certified quality engineer (CQE) of the Am. Soc. Of Quality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

True quality
Although at first look this book may seem overwhelming with lots of mathematical interpretations of quality, however, if you give the book a chance you will realize this book is in fact very basic and extremely easy to follow.Statistics may be intimidating to a person of any profession (engineer, general business or even managers) but the book really takes you from step one and gives a broad understanding of quality.The author of this book tries to offer the mathematical tools to people to improve their understanding of quality.The book also does a fabulous job of talking you through the history of quality(the gurus of quality and their systems) to the new quality processes, such as ISO and Six Sigma.Once I completed this book I understand the reasoning for having the mathematics as such a large part.How can one analyze quality without a statistical background?This book not only breaks things down very simply for a person but also gives a full understanding as to why each topic covered is essential to learning proper quality management.I truly hope to pursue a career in quality after reading this textbook.It takes very difficult topics to grasp (which are essential to todays business world) and makes the information understandable and accessible to a beginner as well as a great refresher.

Great Book
This is a great book. The text is surprisingly easy to read.The information in the book is presented in a manner that gives a great foundation for quality management without overwhelming the reader. The graphs are clear and actually help in understanding the content unlike other textbooks. Don't let the title fool you, the book isn't just for engineers. Any industry/business that is looking to benefit from a better understanding of quality should put this book on the short list for educational texts. ... Read more

Product Description
Phadke was trained in robust design techniques by Genichi Taguchi, the mastermind behind Japanese quality manufacturing technologies and the father of Japanese quality control. Taguchi's approach is currently under consideration to be adopted as a student protocol with the US govrnment. The foreword is written by Taguchi. This book offers a complete blueprint for structuring projects to achieve rapid completion with high engineering productivity during the research and development phase to ensure that high quality products can be made quickly and at the lowest possible cost. Some topics covered are: orthogonol arrays, how to construct orthogonal arrays, computer-aided robutst design techniques, dynamic systems design methods, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for reading, not for a course
Its a good read, but its a shame if they are still using this book in school, so much more about quality is discovered every year. Great for basics though.

Insightful and Easy to read
Dr. Phadke has written the most clear book on the Robust Design method.I was able to follow the book with medium statistical and engineering knowledge and gained valueable knowledge.This is a must read for all engineering managers!

How to do Robust Design
Phadke gives a versatily, easy to read introduction into the on-target philosophy and the Quality Loss Function.

Many examples are taken from real case studies (e.g. from Xerox and ITT), covering mechanics, electronics and computer systems. These are good to inspire your own improvement projects.

Unfortunately, the most verstile characteristic is not treated (dynamic characteristic).

A good starter for engineers getting into Robust Design.
This is one of the earliest books on the subject.It gives an attractive treatment of the concepts and techniques of Robust Design, but is by now dated in view of the ideas that have been advanced and discussed among theprofessionals in the past decade.I look forward to a new edition of thebook. ... Read more

Product Description
The financial markets industry is at the same crossroads as the automotive industry in the late 1970s.Margins are collapsing and customization is rapidly increasing. The automotive industry turned to quality and its no coincidence that in the money management industry many of the spectacular failures have been due largely to problems in quality control.The financial industry in on the verge of a quality revolution.
New and old firms alike are creating new investment vehicles and new strategies that are radically changing the nature of the industry.To compete, mutual funds, hedge fund industries, banks and proprietary trading firms are being forced to quicklyy research, test and implement trade selection and execution systems.And, just as in the early stages of factory automation, quality suffers and leads to defects.Many financial firms fall short of quality, lacking processes and methodologies for proper development and evaluation of trading and investment systems.
Authors Kumiega and Van Vliet present a new step-by-step methodology for such development.Their methodology (called K|V) has been presented in numerous journal articles and at academic and industry conferences and is rapidly being accepted as the preferred business process for the institutional trading and hedge fund industries for development, presentation, and evaluation of trading and investment systems.The K|V model for trading system development combines new product development, project management and software development methodologies into one robust system.After four stages, the methodology requires repeating the entire waterfall for continuous improvement.
The discussion quality and its applications to the front office is presented using lessons learned by the authors after usingthe methodology in the real world.As a result, it is flexible and modifiable to fit various projects in finance in different types of firms. Their methodology works equally well for short-term trading systems, longer-term portfolio management or mutual fund style investment strategies as well as more sophisticated ones employing derivative instruments in hedge funds.
Additionally, readers will be able to quickly modify the standard K|V methodology to meet their unique needs and to quickly build other quantitatively drive applications for finance.At the beginning and the end of the book the authors pose a key question: Are you willing to change and embrace quality for the 21st century or are willing to accept extinction?
The real gem in this book is that the concepts give the reader a road map to avoid extinction.

* Presents a robust process engineering framework for developing and evaluating trading and investment systems
* Best practices along the step-by-step process will mitigate project risk, model risk, and ensure data quality.
* Includes a quality model for backtesting and managing market risk of working systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

300 (bullet-point lists)
I feel bad about docking a point from a book that is original, thoroughly planned, meticulous and engagingly written. My reservations are about its practical value.

The authors envisage a guide for students entering the field of investment management. Those about to set up and run their own investment companies, or at least head up a team at one, will discover a valuable aid. The rest might be disappointed.

In my experience, people specialize, newbies start in junior, supervised roles and learn on the job. Much of the book's content will be useless for non-managers (non-CEOs, even); the rest are things that I would expect to come with common sense (all the consultingspeak) and modest amount of experience. Does a hedge-fund principal need to consult "Quality Money Management" on how to write the prospectus? Does a research-team leader need to be explained the importance of clean data or the concept of backtesting? Does a researcher need to be reminded to use a consistent notation in his/her write-ups? If any of those is looking for a book, wouldn't a specialized reference be a better investment?

One-of-a-kind, thoughtful, methodical, educational - but not exactly bread-and-butter useful.

Misleading title
I thought this book was going to be about 'money management' in the sense that it is usually referred to in the automated trading system community, ie about risk control and position sizing, etc..those topics are briefly discussed in a very general sense but are far from the topic of this book.

The actual content of the book is more akin to a process management book for trading systems, it borrows heavily from (and often misinterprets) software development and industrial process methodologies such as waterfall, agile, lean, etc..

Overall the book is very general and very light on specific content, perhaps it could be of some use to a manager with no prior exposure to trading systems or software development, but I would definitely not recommend it to a developer.

Excellent framework for systematic trading process.
Quality Money Management (QMM) is an excellent book, providing a framework for business systems processes in asset management firms.
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QMMoffers method and structure aiming for "best practices" for investment management firms. This is a excellent work for those rolling out a new strategy, fund offering, or business line.
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The focus is on systematic trading, but many of these processes are adaptable for custody chain or decision making for more discretionary investment methods, however the emphasis is on complex market microstructure and the developing, testing and managing portfolios of a new trading system.
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Emphasis is additionally on financial software and human interface with software, so this is an excellent resource for those who support or develop application for traders.
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The cycle of "continuous improvement" is as old as Edward W. Deming's pioneering work in the 1950s, however it is refreshing to see it applied to making systematic trading smooth.
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This is an excellent book for improving a framework in place, or for starting from scratch.

Concepts Extend Beyond Trading
Quality Money Management is a very timely book meant to bring quality control processes to the trading process. It provides a detailed look at using well-known product development processes in the finance community. Variation is a big weakness of any system that could undercut a great trading strategy. After all, one cannot foresee all possibilities. The use of a systematic approach that addresses development phases requiring management involvement and extensive testing prior to deploying a new trading system is a unique aspect of this book.

As a former six sigma black belt at a Fortune 500 company overseeing product development and quality control who utilized similar processes, it never ceases to amaze me how much money is lost in the transactional processes that govern financial institutions. One would do well to apply these principles in an adapted form at their financial institution for trading systems, risk management systems, and model development...a paradigm shift indeed. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their margins with a very cost effective solution.

Hitting the mark
This book really flows and makes sense. I was afraid the concepts might be too technical but I was pleasantly surprised at how the authors connected the dots. The concepts and methodology detailed in this book are certainly a significant step forward in trading system design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good about metrics, though not about their effects
Metrics and Models gives a brief summary on some major software development methodologies, as well as process standards. The bulk of the book is textbook material on how to design, execute, and interpret the results of measuring software quality. If you're asked to design a measurement or process assessment program, this text could help. But if you're more interested in how to manage teams for improvement aided by carefully-chosen metrics, instead read Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert D. Austin.

--
Full disclosure: I only read the first two chapters and glanced through the rest.

Managing Software Development as a Science
Managing the Black Hole: The Executive's Guide to Software Project Risk

Stephen Kan's extensive experience applying "scientific methods" and measurement to the management of software development gives this book a real world practicality not found in many similar books. Anyone interested in becoming software management professional should certainly read this book and take its lessons to heart. His treatment of software defect containment practices and metrics is especially valuable.

Good overall review of metrics and methods.
A very thorough treatment of Software Engineering metrics.Good graphics.Good explanations.Much better than other books in this area.

Great book!
This book is a must have for all the managers and profesionals that need a complete and detailed reference for software metrics.It provides clear explanations and examples.It is very easy to read and very practical.

Real World Proven
As the System Test Team Leader for the Quality Technology area, I had to certify many of the tools and procedures used by Stephen Kan.Prior to that, as a System Administrator, I had to run software metrics on those tools, like those shown in table 6.3.As a design review moderator, I was charged with leading a number of IR, IE and I0 reviews.

THIS STUFF WORKS!

I can attest personally to the great effort and many find minds that worked together to develop and implement fine tools such as DCR, PTR, PTF and APAR, as well as the brilliantly simple, effective ways of implementing Continuous Quality Improvement techniques such as DPP.What Kan has written is real-world honest and true, not some academic exercise.

Kan is dead-right on the money.If you want to track, predict and manage things in the real world, this is how you do it.At PSQT '97, Tom Gilb told me that SEI should create a new CMM "Level Six" designation for the way Kan and the others at IBM Rochester have dealt with software quality.That's how good the stuff in this book is.

I am particularly impressed by how Kan has woven in not only his work and IBM Rochester as a whole, but also the work of others throughout the industry in such a simple, clear, easy to understand manner.

Yet, given that the book is an easy read, that many of the techniques are easy to do, and that I see this book on the shelves of many IT managers, it baffles me why so few people and so few companies actually implement this stuff.I suspect that politics and corporate culture is what's holding back so many companies from enjoying the success, efficiency, and frankly the FUN of working in a continually measuring, continually refining work environment such as Kan describes.

For example, Defect Removal Effectiveness is a very simple metric to gather.In a typical medium sized software company, or in the I.T. department of a large company, the head of testing and the head of phone support could easily enough get together and compare the number of bugs found in testing the last release with the number of bugs found in the field after that release was deployed.Both areas already have their problem logs, and if they can't directly pull counts and totals, it's typically only a few minutes work for the right programmer.So what's the hold up?It's not that the metric is hard to understand, or an academic exercise, or that the numbers are hard to get.It's that people have a hard time admitting that "their baby is ugly".The good of the company, stopping bugs from getting to the field, conflicts with the good of the testing manager, who doesn't want to risk admitting that problems got past them.

Therefore, I think it would be a fine addition to this book if Kan could write another chapter which deals with the human side of the equation.The book thus far presumes an interest in software metrics and appropriate management support from the top levels down.What would move this book from worker's bookshelves to their desks, and keep this book open and used on a daily basis, would be some ideas on how to garner and build support for implementing software metrics and TQM practices across an organization.People want to do this; that's why this book gets sold.Unfortunately, people aren't empowered to do so, which is why many times this excellent book sits on a shelf.

Paul Walchak
... Read more

Product Description
For decades, "Juran's Quality Handbook" has been the one essential reference in quality management and engineering - the ultimate authoritative source of answers on quality applications, procedures, techniques, and strategies. Now this Fifth Edition - a major revision and the first new edition of "Juran's Quality Handbook" in more than 10 years - forges a new standard in tools for quality. Bringing managers and engineers the most up-to-date methods, research, and theory, under the guidance of a team of the world's top experts, Juran's shows you how to plan for quality, achieve quality control, and ensure quality results.Packed with new methods, research, and thought on quality, and emphasizing the need for quality software and quality software development methods, this completely updated classic also gives you new information, new techniques, and new applications. Broad in scope and inclusive in methodology, "Juran's Quality Handbook" is the reference of choice for anyone concerned with quality in business, manufacturing, or engineering. Whether you're just beginning your journey or a longtime traveler on the quality path, this book is the best possible companion for your voyage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Encyclopedia of Quality Management is readable too
Joseph M. Juran is among the founders of modern quality management, so his handbook, after several editions, should be a great reference. And it is. It covers everything from statistics to people, countries to industries to methods. How to think about it and how to do it. And readable too. Now, at over 1800 pages (48 chapters, 5 appendices), this is not a book to read from beginning to end. But it's much more than an encyclopedia to sit on your shelf. Think of each chapter as a readable textbook. Choose your topic and read a chapter. Novices will get a complete introduction; professionals can use the organized and complete explanations to refresh their own understanding or to explain quality management and improvement concepts to others.

QE handbook
Isn't this a requirement for being a Quality Engineer?This book helped me get Certified Quality Engineer status.

The QA 'bible'
If you are in Quality Assurance management or Quality Engineering this is the ultimate reference book. It covers everything from quality planning, training, strategy, and statistics to six sigma and Kaizen concepts. Not a lot on CAPA or Risk Analysis. A good portion of the text is devoted to statistics and sampling and the explanations and examples for these are helpful. This is an all around general reference book which is good to have on hand for certification test preparation.

QA bible for quality engineers
For decades Joseph Juran has been a famous name in the quality movement. He formed his own institute for quality and has for many years edited an extensive volume on methods for improving quality in manufacturing processes. This Quality Handbook, now in its fifth edition has long been the basic reference for quality engineers and statistician alike. To honor Juran, the fifth edition is titled Juran's Quality Handbook. The volume is now over 900 pages and consists of 48 chapters and 5 appendices. There are 53 authors including Juran himself and his colleague and co-editor Blanton Godfrey. Many other well-known persons have contributed. It includes a chapter on government services by Vice President Al Gore. Prominent statisticians who have contributed include Don Marquardt, Stu Hunter, Bill Meeker, Luis Escobar, Gerry Hahn, Ed Schilling, Ed Dudewicz and Necip Doganaksoy.
As a statistician, I particularly like having a wealth of practical statistical information and tables in one source. Dudewicz provides the introductory statistical material necessary to understand the four other statistical chapters that follow it (SPC by Wadsworth, Acceptance Sampling by Schilling, Design and Analysis of Experiments by Hunter and Reliability Concepts and Data Analysis by Meeker, Escobar, Doganaksoy and Hahn). These are all distinguished authors who are excellent writers and several have written whole text books on these subjects. This edition is up-to-date with the latest advances in quality techniques. Statistical advances in robust design (Taguchi methods), bootstrap methods, process control and capability are all included. Juran and Deming had major practical impact on the quality movement because they both emphasized the need for proper process management. This can be seen in many of the non-statistical chapters that deal with successful management techniques such as six sigma.

This edition is even better than the previous editions and is indeed worthy of the title of bible. Despite the high cost this book is prominent on my bookshelf. I recommend it to anyone heavily involved in product reliability, even if they own copies of previous editions!

High Quality Textbook

"Juran's Quality Handbook" is an excellent book on Quality by one of the most well known quality gurus. The book gives a comprehensive coverage of the subject of quality management. It includes the latest techniques on quality as well as quality theories.

This is a very useful book for those who are interested in producing quality goods and services in a customer focused organization. This huge tome is of immense value to all those involved with the quality profession and is an excellent reference book that covers the wide range of topics and subjects pertaining to quality.

This is a well written book that is very useful for all businesses where quality matters (that is, all businesses). This should be essential reading for quality specialists such as control and quality assurance personnel.
... Read more

Product 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

Customer Reviews (7)

The standard in SPC enducation
Used this as a textbook in a college course in quality assurance. It is THE book on SPC, and other statistical issues in quality assurance and control.Well illustrated with lots of examples.Great problem sets.For many years, the recognized standard college text in SPC, and having used it as that, I see why.Recommended.

Statistical Quality Control
Book was exactly as described (used). This book is considered the 'bible' of statistical control. I was adding it back to my library.

the book that started it all, price insane
5 star for the book. 1 star for the price.
This can be considered THE classic on the subject. It is also well written, explaining exactly what one is trying to achieve and how statistics fit that bill. As a newbie on the subject and not being a fan of math, I found this book the best explanation for the entire concept of using statistic and sampling to achieve certain levels of quality. Perhaps because it starts at the very beginning of the issue of quality and consistency, it is easy to grasp.

I wanted to point out that McGraw Hill sells this book in forign markets, still in english, for less than ten bucks, paperback version. Given that, I strongly suggest one hunt around the net.

Painful to use.
This book is horrible.

This book is outdated (it comes with a floppy disk that I havn't found to work on any computer). It also provides very few examples as to grasp what is being talked about in the material. There are also (from the limited answers provided) answers that are wrong. This book is also extremely expensive for the amount of material provided. I have seen many books provide much more information for half the price.

Just thought I'd chip in my own two cents since the other reviews seem oddly impresonal and similar (the two that are different).

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 practitionerneeds to know about the subject.I used the book as a student, and amstill using it as a professor, and as an Academician of the InternationalAcademy for Quality. ... Read more

Product Description
Providing a comprehensive approach to both the art and science of reliability engineering, this volume covers all aspects of the field, from basic concepts to accelerated testing, including SPC, designed experiments, human factors, and reliability management. It also presents the theory of reliability systems and its application as prescribed by industrial and government standards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Reliability Engineering Handbook
This is the best reliability book I have ever used.I work in a corporate development department and deals with design reliability and warranty on a daily basis.This book gets right to the point and is very useful for solving my problems.The Excel templates are especially useful.Not only does the book have useful examples, but the examples are solved using Excel.These examples are on the CD in the back of the book.My only complaint is the printing.The quality is not great; some of the graphs are fuzzy.

Good and Useful, But ...
Dodson and Nolan provide a sound reliability engineering survey. It may aslo be a helpful supplament for Six-Sigma folks. The volume also serves competently as a handbook and reference. Importantly, it includes an adequate bibilography so that the reader can easily pursue more specialized or more fundamental sources.

But ...

Neither the material nor the presentation distinguishes this book from its many competitors.

Too often the index enties have incorrect page numbers. In an age of computer automated indexing, mistakes of this kind really grate on a reader who expects more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Understanding the background
This book is very good to understand the background of Taguchi's approach. He has an interesting view on the different roles of engineers during the design cycle. The concept of Quality Loss is striking.
It is not good for learning. The examples shown may be difficult to follow for a beginner. I suggest to read real case studies from the US, from Europe or from Japan in parallel. ... Read more

Product Description
Powerful and elegantly simple.

Achieve higher quality...lower costs...faster time to market

Companies worldwide have used the methods of quality expert Genichi Taguchi for the past 30 years with phenomenal product development cost savings and quality improvements. Robust Engineering, by this three-time Deming Prize winner, along with Subir Chowdhury and Shin Taguchi, is the first book to explain and illustrate his newest, most revolutionary methodology, Technology Development. It joins Design of Experiments and Robust Design as the framework on which your company can build a competitive edge. Case studies of real-world organizations Ford, ITT, 3M, Minolta, NASA, Nissan, Xerox and 9 others show you how the techniques of all three methodologies can besuccessfully applied. You'll hammer flexibility into your manufacturing organization to minimize product development costs, reduce product time-to-market, and fully satisfy customers needs.

Project Management is going to be huge in the next decade...--Fortune

Busy managers single-source guide to planning, organizing and controlling projects

At last there's a concise, compact (5Ó x 8Ó) hands-on guide that puts state-of-the-art management concepts and processes at your fingertips. Project Manager's Portable Handbook, by David I. Cleland and Lewis R.Ireland, is your step-by-step guide to the nuts-and-bolts details that spell project management success. YouÕre shown how to organize and manage everything from small to multiple projects...lead and coach project teammembers...and manage within a strategic context from projectpartnering to dealing with the board of directors and other stakeholders.You'll find out how to:Select and use PM software; Develop winning proposals;Handle legal considerations; Come out on top in contract ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

shoud rename the title
I'm also surprised by 4 stars & other praises of this book (e.g., Fortune).

the book should be renamed "Case Studies of Taguchi Method" and the "authors" should be renamed as "editors"

it also does not telll you the method & its statistical basis, its strength & weakness compared with other methods, its assumptions and so forth. In addition, it lacks a biblography. Overall, we are just supposed to take a leap of faith. The book feels like "informercial"

A great advertisement, but short on implementation.
I am a little bemused by the previous reviews.Being a practicing engineer, I had hoped for an more rigorous introduction to applying robust engineering principles, coupled to real life engineering examples.What I got was essentially a book length advertisement aimed at people who don't need or want to know how to do it, merely order someone else to apply the techniques.If you are a manager considering implementing robust engineering practices and design of experiments, by all means, read the book and convince yourself and your boss it is the way to go.If you actually want to use the techniques, buy a different book.

Robust Engineering is the most powerful tool
Robust Engineering book is the world wide collections of best case studiesof Robust Engineering. In Chapter 1 and 2 authors gave a basic explanation of Robust Engineering and implementation strategy which is very easy to understand for any reader. This is book is the absolute necessary for anyleaders, managers or engineers who want to re-shape their organization andby reading this book they will understand the powerfulness of RobustEngineering.

Interesting
An interesting read.Well written and full of unique ideas.Can be used to accomplish major improvements in any organization. ... Read more

Product Description
Frequency disturbances, transients, grounding, interference…the issues related to power quality are many, and solutions to power quality problems can be complex. However, by combining theory and practice to develop a qualitative analysis of power quality, the issues become relatively straightforward, and one can begin to find solutions to power quality problems confronted in the real world.Power Quality builds the foundation designers, engineers, and technicians need to survive in the current power system environment. It treats power system theory and power quality principles as interdependent entities, and balances these with a wealth of practical examples and data drawn from the author's 30 years of experience in the design, testing, and trouble-shooting of power systems. It compares different power quality measurement instruments and details ways to correctly interpret power quality data. It also presents alternative solutions to power quality problems and compares them for feasibility and economic viability.Power quality problems can have serious consequences, from loss of productivity to loss of life, but they can be easily prevented. You simply need a good understanding of electrical power quality and its impact on the performance of power systems. By changing the domain of power quality from one of theory to one of practice, this book imparts that understanding and will develop your ability to effectively measure, test, and resolve power quality problems. ... Read more

Product Description

Covers a Host of Groundbreaking Techniques

Thermal processing is known to effectively control microbial populations in food, but the procedure also has a downside―it can break down the biochemical composition of foods, resulting in a marked loss of sensory and nutritional quality. Processing Effects on Safety and Quality of Foods delineates three decades of advances made in processing techniques that produce microbiologically safe foods, while maintaining their sensory and nutritive properties.

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The all-encompassing guide to total quality process control for injection molding

In the same simple, easy-to-understand language that marked the first edition, Total Quality Process Control for Injection Molding, Second Edition lays out a successful plan for producing superior plastic parts using high-quality controls. This updated edition is the first of its kind to zero in on every phase of the injection molding process, the most commonly used plastics manufacturing method, with an all-inclusive strategy for excellence. Beginning with sales and marketing, then moving forward to cover finance, purchasing, design, tooling, manufacturing, assembly, decorating, and shipping, the book thoroughly covers each stage to illustrate how elevated standards across individual departments relate to result in the creation of a top-notch product. This Second Edition:

• Details ways to improve plastic part design and quality

• Includes material and process control procedures to monitor quality through the entire manufacturing system

• Offers detailed information on machinery and equipment and the implementation of quality assurance methods—content that is lacking in similar books

• Provides problem-analysis techniques and troubleshooting procedures

• Includes updates that cover Six Sigma, ISO 9000, and TS 16949, which are all critical for quality control; computer-guided process control techniques; and lean manufacturing methods

With proven ways to problem-solve, increase performance, and ensure customer satis-faction, this valuable guide offers the vital information today's managers need to plan and implement quality process control—and produce plastic parts that not only meet, but surpass expectations. ... Read more

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Features a blend of statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE) concepts and methods for quality design and improvement. The book places particularly strong emphasis on proper methods for data collection, control chart construction and interpretation, and fault diagnosis for process improvement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book I've seen explaining statistical concepts & design of experiments
I feel sorry that many people who want to learn statistical concepts and design of experiments will not look for this book, since it feels like an engineering book. In reality, chapters 3, 4, and part III of this book teaches these concepts very gently and with easy to follow examples. I wish the writers write books on other statistical techniques as well.

This book is probably already well-known for teaching statistical quality control techniques. ... Read more

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The one resource needed to create reliable software

This text offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to software quality engineering. By following the author's clear guidance, readers learn how to master the techniques to produce high-quality, reliable software, regardless of the software system's level of complexity.

The first part of the publication introduces major topics in software quality engineering and presents quality planning as an integral part of the process. Providing readers with a solid foundation in key concepts and practices, the book moves on to offer in-depth coverage of software testing as a primary means to ensure software quality; alternatives for quality assurance, including defect prevention, process improvement, inspection, formal verification, fault tolerance, safety assurance, and damage control; and measurement and analysis to close the feedback loop for quality assessment and quantifiable improvement.

The text's approach and style evolved from the author's hands-on experience in the classroom. All the pedagogical tools needed to facilitate quick learning are provided:
* Figures and tables that clarify concepts and provide quick topic summaries
* Examples that illustrate how theory is applied in real-world situations
* Comprehensive bibliography that leads to in-depth discussion of specialized topics
* Problem sets at the end of each chapter that test readers' knowledge

This is a superior textbook for software engineering, computer science, information systems, and electrical engineering students, and a dependable reference for software and computer professionals and engineers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Software Quality Engineering review
I not only read the book but took the class from Dr. Tian as well.

It is a good overview of software testing and the techniques used to provide both quality assurance and quality control (testing).

If one is intending on using this for an in depth approach for how to conduct test you will be disappointed. From an industry and practitioner standpoint even the test material in the book is a bit academic and vague and is much better supplemented by other textbooks that give a more specific approach on how to perform testing.

For example the boundary condition testing is incomplete (superficial from a practitioner standpoint) and there are more specific approaches in the industry, documented by leading industry experts in various textbooks, that provide a more complete and prescriptive approach for boundary testing.

It does have an innovative approach for dealing with web page testing and coverage, but since that is not my specialty in software testing I cannot say how practical it is. The other area of innovation is in the Markov chain testing approach and the Unified Markov Model. These seem to be more practical from a usage standpoint.

In general this is a good overview book. If you are intending to use this for test generation or coverage there are other textbooks that provide more specific coverage.

Too much blah, blah, blah. Not enough specifics. Boring. Redundant.
I made the mistake of assigning this book for CSE 5321 Software Testing (a graduate course) at the University of Texas at Arlington during the fall of 2008. I abandoned it 2/3 of the way into the semester. I replaced it with "Introduction to Software Testing" by Ammann & Offutt.

The title of my review pretty much says it all.

Jeff Tian: SQE
Takes a while to get used to the book. Not the easiest to understand
Lots of good information and concepts. Strongly recommended if you are willing to do the brain work ... Read more

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Tools to Proactively Predict Failure

The prediction of failures involves uncertainty, and problems associated with failures are inherently probabilistic. Their solution requires optimal tools to analyze strength of evidence and understand failure events and processes to gauge confidence in a design’s reliability.

Reliability Engineering and Risk Analysis: A Practical Guide, Second Edition has already introduced a generation of engineers to the practical methods and techniques used in reliability and risk studies applicable to numerous disciplines. Written for both practicing professionals and engineering students, this comprehensive overview of reliability and risk analysis techniques has been fully updated, expanded, and revised to meet current needs. It concentrates on reliability analysis of complex systems and their components and also presents basic risk analysis techniques. Since reliability analysis is a multi-disciplinary subject, the scope of this book applies to most engineering disciplines, and its content is primarily based on the materials used in undergraduate and graduate-level courses at the University of Maryland. This book has greatly benefited from its authors' industrial experience. It balances a mixture of basic theory and applications and presents a large number of examples to illustrate various technical subjects. A proven educational tool, this bestselling classic will serve anyone working on real-life failure analysis and prediction problems.