Efficient techniques of information collection and analysis are essential to all quality and productivity improvement studies. Most established concepts of quality control are passive in nature, intended more for the maintenance of the status quo than for purposeful changes. Statistical...

The attainment of superior quality and reliability in a manufactured product depends upon the existence of a framework integrating an organization’s capabilities in management, technology and information utilization. With respect to information utilization, statistical tools are particularly...

The key to increasing productivity in the manufacturing sector does not lie solely in high technology, but also in an environment in which personnel at all levels are operating with rational decisions and actions based on organised information. Inasmuch as uncertainties and changes are the...

A variety of quantitative specifications, usually in terms of numerical limits, have been developed in industry for the description, prediction and control of product quality. As the theoretical foundations of these specifications are often beyond the working knowledge of many manufacturing...

The technology of modern‐day production processes has improved to such an extent that situations could arise in which the proportion of defective items is so low that the conventional p chart is no longer appropriate for process control. An alternative charting technique, based on more exact...

Optimal crew allocation and scheduling is an important issue in the management of a large fleet of taxis. Presents a modelling study of a taxi service operation in a Singapore public transport company, with the results adaptable for other similar operations. Proposes two quantitative techniques:...

The last, and often most difficult increment in product quality level or process productivity, cannot be realised via the usual techniques of statistical quality control, such as process capability analysis or control chart procedures. Through a non‐mathematical presentation, the article sets...

Industry spends considerable financial and manpower resources in training operations staff in statistical techniques for quality improvement, but training alone does not necessarily lead to immediate competence. Discusses the various factors which could lead to the success or failure of efforts...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss areas where there could be gaps between traditional quality management concepts and the reality, and point out the modern‐day paradigm shifts as thoughts and ideals of the past gradually give way to realistic assessments and concrete tools of...

The success of Six Sigma in manufacturing in the past decade has encouraged moves to explore Six Sigma applications to other domains, such as the software industry, for performance improvement. Owing to the uniqueness of software processes, there have been disagreements as to whether Six Sigma...