Focused Quality: Managing for Results is a book about using quality improvement as a means to enhance bottom line results. Written for managers in industry, services, healthcare and government, this important new book provides a focused approach on how to target critical improvement initiatives and insure their success.
Prepare - Plan - Deploy - Transition are the steps in the improvement process that are covered in detail. Included are examples of how organizations have successfully accomplished each step. Practical lessons on how to and how not to implement quality and process improvement initiatives are given.
Process assessment is crucial to identifying the importance of a process and defining the scope of what is involved in order to improve it. Before deciding to refine, redesign or reengineer an assessment is needed. Focused Quality: Managing for Results not only shows you how to do an assessment but also how to apply the results to improve the bottom line.
Application is emphasized throughout the book with the focus on the managers role in leading the change effort. The authors have provided a set of questions that management should answer to determine if their organization is ready to effectively implement the improvement process. Realizing that even the best plans can go astray there is also a diagnostic check sheet to pinpoint the causes of and solutions for process improvement failures.

Reviews

"This is definitely a book you should read...that is if you want to get bottom-line results."
C. Jack Grayson, Chairman, American Productivity & Quality Center
"This book was written because we have seen a growing-in fact, an alarming number of organizations going down the path to total quality management, only to falter, fail, or worse, start drifting and blame TQM.
In the process we've seen some organizations that have been very successful with TQM and benchmarking. We've seen bottom-line results. And we've seen smiling CEO's and workers.
Something is wrong, terribly wrong...
Upper management either is or is not involved. When upper management doesn't drive the TQM effort, the results are disappointing at best.
That's why I encouraged the authors of this book to write it. They have created a philosophy and concrete methodology for producing results from TQM. And the best way to get quality results is to read this book"
C. Jack Grayson

(FOLLOWING REVIEW ADDED 7/22/98)
"...an excellent resource and a very easy read... The parts that are especially good relate to the empowerment of employees and the new role of middle-level managers in supporting (focused quality management)."
-Canadian Public Administration

Book Information
ISBN 9781884015182
Author Paul Murphy
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint CRC Press Inc
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 460g