Despite US government policymakers′ hopes for a return to US predominance in the marketplace, manufacturers face the fact that the Japanese manufacturing superiority is largely due to better quality, cost‐effective operations, and rapid response to customers. A few explanations for the US...

Many firms control product quality using inspection systems, which add to costs. The implementation of Statistical Quality Control and Just‐in‐Time, together, can improve quality which eventually lowers costs. In this way two new dimensions are added to Feigenbaum's four dimension...

Journals and industry publications are important in communication among production and operations‐management academics and practitioners. There have been calls for more cross‐disciplinary research and greater emphasis on applied benefit. Describes an attempt to identify relevant periodicals,...

In recent years, many businesses have focused on three priorities: quality, cost and cycle time, in order to become world‐class companies. Despite the fact that many companies have been continuously improving product quality, lowering costs and reducing cycle times, their safety programmes...