Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore strategies used by communities of practice (CoPs) managers when managing intentionally created CoPs. Design/methodology/approach – Four intentionally created CoPs in Ireland are explored, using a qualitative research design with data from...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights in understanding the value of integrating the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) with Six Sigma. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a comprehensive literature review of the BSC and Six Sigma. The literature review provides...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a new framework for continuous improvement. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review on customer value and strategic quality provides the basis for the identification of a conceptual framework for continuous...

Purpose – Market demands, especially within the automotive sector, are pushing towards increased product complexity and performance with zero ship parts per million (PPM) requirements. To achieve both quality and performance goals very stringent requirements are being placed on the test...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel approach of designing, specifying, and describing the behavior of software systems in a way that helps to predict their reliability from the reliability of the components and their interactions. Design/methodology/approach – Design...