Books & Standards

A quick, informal search of the QP archives shows you that systems and complexity are written about frequently as they relate to quality management. And while quality professionals often use “systems” and “complexity” interch...

Reader reactions from around the world.

Robust corrective action responses address issues at three levels: output , process and system. The deeper you apply a fix, the more likely a specific problem will not return. With the improvements to ISO 9001:2015, businesses now must define their ...

My quality journey began with my first real job out of high school. I thought I had found a job that I wanted for the rest of my life. But when organizations began outsourcing manufacturing jobs overseas, I thought to myself, “I must figure ou...

Newly released products and tools. 

Book reviews of Managing and Improving Quality , by Amar Sahay, and Quality Management in a Lean Health Care Environment by Daniel Collins and Melissa Mannon.

A Q&A with Nicole Radziwill, senior vice president of quality and strategy at Ultranauts Inc. in New York.

Combine five whys and fishbone diagrams for better root cause analysis.

Has Six Sigma’s popularity declined to the point that it’s run its course?

Consider the advantages of using the benefit/effort matrix to help you act.

Leaders must give customers what they need, not just what they ask for. This article was adapted from Complex Service Delivery Processes , fourth edition (Quality Press, 2021). The book focuses on complex services—that is, services embodying ...

In this case study, the authors describe how they improved reliability of a scotch yoke actuator through robust redesign and synergized DFSS modeling.

How lean and/or Six Sigma can ultimately improve employee morale and the enjoyment of the work you do. Also overviews of three features, including two case studies— one uses lean Six Sigma and the other uses the design for Six Sigma (DFSS) approach.

Survey and research shows a supposed deep disconnect between businesses and customer satisfaction.

This case study describes how Texas a health system used Six Sigma to uncover ways to implement and improve its N95 face mask reprocessing project. Ultimately, the N95 reprocessing center successfully met the health system’s CTQs and N95 demand by re...

Suppose you’re planning to run a designed experiment and want to know how to get started. This is a common theme for many studies and applications. The benefits are well-documented for strategically manipulating the inputs to collect the right ...

A digest of trends, research and late-breaking news. 

Like many people I’ve met in the quality profession, I didn’t choose my career—it chose me. On the advice of a school counselor (who happened to be my mother), and because of my strengths in math and science, as well as the promisi...

Post-baby boomers—generations X, Y and Z—make up a great portion of the current workforce, and their different approach to life and work shapes the future of this planet. Those of us who have been in the workforce for a few decades have ...

Until recently, suppliers in the automotive industry that delivered to U.S. and German customers were confronted by two completely separate requirements for failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).  

QP looks at the lighter side of quality in this comic strip, featuring the always quality-minded character and his circle of friends.

Recent advances in sensor technology have made it possible to monitor the degradation of a system using multiple sensors simultaneously. Accordingly, many neural network-based prognostic models have been proposed to use observed multiple sensor signa...

In many applied and industrial settings, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for quality technology is gaining growing attention. AI refers to the broad set of techniques which replicate human cognitive and analytical skills for problem solving, ...

Variational autoencoders have been recently proposed for the problem of process monitoring. While these works show impressive results over classical methods, the proposed monitoring statistics often ignore the inconsistencies in learned lower-dimensi...

Full issue PDF for November 2021 Lean & Six Sigma Review.

Landslides are severe geographical activities that result in large quantities of rock and debris flowing down hill-slopes, leading to thousands of casualties and billions of dollars in infrastructure damage every year worldwide. For detecting landsli...

Recurrence data arise from multi-disciplinary domains spanning reliability, cyber security, healthcare, online retailing, etc. This paper investigates an additive-tree-based approach, known as Boost-R (Boosting for Recurrence Data), for recurrent eve...

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, such as deep learning and XGboost, are used in numerous applications including autonomous driving, manufacturing process optimization and medical diagnostics. The robustness of AI algorithms is of great intere...

In experimental designs, it is usually assumed that the data follow normal distributions and the models have linear structures. In practice, experimenters may encounter different types of responses and be uncertain about model structures. If this is ...

In multistage manufacturing systems, modeling multiple quality indices based on the process sensing variables is important. However, the classic modeling technique predicts each quality variable one at a time, which fails to consider the correlation ...

Each year, the goal of this report is to deliver actionable guidance to our member communities to pursue best practices in organizational excellence and operations. Since ASQExcellence (ASQE)  published our 2020 Annual Research Report , the ch...

Despite the vast amount of literature on supersaturated designs (SSDs), there is a scant record of their use in practice. We contend this imbalance is due to conflicting recommendations regarding SSD use in the literature as well as the designs’ inab...

Estimation of a probability density function (pdf) from its samples, while satisfying certain shape constraints, is an important problem that lacks coverage in the literature. This article introduces a novel geometric, deformable template constrained...

Manufacturers are required to demonstrate that products meet reliability targets. A way to achieve this is with reliability demonstration tests (RDTs), where a number of products are put on test and the test is passed or failed according to a decisio...

The best Six Sigma black belt handbook has been fully revised, updated, and expanded. This third edition has been updated to reflect the most recent ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt Body of Knowledge (BOK), released in 2015.

Member Price: $101.50
List Price: $145.00

This book is primarily meant to aid those taking the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) exam and is best used in conjunction with The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook .

Member Price: $35.00
List Price: $50.00

Also available as a PDF e-standard. This document provides guidance on auditing management systems, including the principles of auditing, managing an audit programme and conducting management system audits, as well as guidance on the evaluation...

Member Price: $148.00
List Price: $185.00

The purpose of this handbook is to assist individuals taking the Certified Supplier Quality Professional examination and provide a reference for the practitioner.

Member Price: $94.50
List Price: $135.00

This best-seller can help anyone whose role is to try to find specific causes for failures. It provides detailed steps for solving problems, focusing more heavily on the analytical process involved in finding the actual causes of problems. It does...

Member Price: $42.00
List Price: $60.00

This best-seller can help anyone whose role is to try to find specific causes for failures. It provides detailed steps for solving problems, focusing more heavily on the analytical process involved in finding the actual causes of problems. It doe...

Member Price: $42.00
List Price: $60.00

The ISO 9001 standard specifies requirements for quality management systems. All requirements of ASQ/ANSI/ISO 9001:2015, the American National Standard (ANS) version of ISO 9001, are generic and are intended to be applicable to all organizations.

Member Price: $139.00
List Price: $175.00

Understanding and improving the CAPA system as a whole is the focal point of this book, the only of its kind dealing exclusively with this critical system within highly regulated industries.

Member Price: $42.70
List Price: $61.00

The ISO Lesson Guide translates ISO 9001 into easy-to-understand words. This pocket edition was designed as a quick reference for anyone to carry around conveniently.

Member Price: $16.80
List Price: $24.00

This reference manual is designed to help those interested in passing the ASQ's certification exam for Six Sigma Green Belts and others who want a handy reference to the appropriate materials needed to conduct successful Green Belt projects.

Member Price: $94.50
List Price: $135.00

Like the previous editions of The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook , this fourth edition is intended to provide the quality professional with a reference book aligned with the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Body of Knowledge (BoK). The boo...

Member Price: $101.50
List Price: $145.00

The Quality Toolbox is a reference guide offering well-known and less commonly used quality control tools. Buy online at ASQ's bookstore, discounts available!

Member Price: $42.00
List Price: $60.00

Six Sigma Green Belts need support in applying new skills after training, yet there is little research about how this works and even less advice about what support looks like in the field. This book is that missing link in providing coaching tips to ...

Member Price: $15.00
List Price: $15.00

Implementing ISO/IEC 17025:2005 is a book that gives a roadmap for organizations to receive/maintain accreditation for their laboratories. Buy ASQ for savings!

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

Transformational Leadership is an e-book to guide organizational transformation, while delivering breakthrough results. Shop ASQ's bookstore for discounts!

Member Price: $15.00
List Price: $15.00

This book is written to address the most detailed level of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE) — the 42 Areas to Address. It is organized into five parts and is designed to help leaders and organization architects understand: (1...

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

There are many occasions when a project leader will preside over a team meeting that ends up falling short of the desired outcomes. Entering a room full of people who are expecting you to guide them to results can be a source of tremendous pressure, ...

Member Price: $28.00
List Price: $40.00

This is a book for principals, and it should also prove helpful to school leaders in central office or at the building level. The authors wrote it to build knowledge and give support to these principals because their experience shows that the Baldri...

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Ellis Ott taught generations of quality practitioners to be explorers of the truth through the collection and graphical portrayal of data. From a simple plea to "plot the data" to devising a graphical analytical tool called the analysis of means (AN...

Member Price: $25.00
List Price: $25.00

Statistical Process Control is a guide that helps practitioners understand & apply different SPC tools in a company regulated by the FDA. Shop ASQ for savings!

Member Price: $15.00
List Price: $15.00

The AS9100C, AS9110 & AS9120 Handbook discusses of each of the 3 standards’ clauses, & suggests best practices to comply with them. Shop ASQ for discounts!

Member Price: $15.00
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Organizations face many ongoing challenges, which can lead to restructuring— an expensive, disruptive solution that doesn’t always offer successful outcomes or better results. As a business leader in a competitive environment, you must fi...

Member Price: $21.00
List Price: $30.00

Søren Bisgaard was an extremely productive and insightful scholar of modern industrial statistics and quality engineering. He was amazing for both his breadth of interests and the depth of his scholarship. Søren was one of the very few people making ...

Member Price: $25.00
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In today’s uncertain times, risk has become the biggest part of management. Risk management is central to the science of prediction and decision-making; holistic and scientific risk management creates resilient organizations, which survive and ...

Member Price: $31.50
List Price: $45.00

This training guide represents one way to look at the Baldrige criteria and use them to improve classroom systems. It is designed for classroom teachers at all levels as well as teachers in training. The approach described here has proven helpful to ...

Member Price: $15.00
List Price: $15.00

This book is written to address the most detailed level of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence — the 43 Areas to Address. I t is organized into five parts and is designed to help leaders and organization architects understand:...

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

This book is intended for small business owners and non-engineers such as researchers, business analysts, project managers, small non-profits, community groups, religious organizations, and others who want an assessment tool that can provide methods ...

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

There are many occasions when a project leader will preside over a team meeting that ends up falling short of the desired outcomes. Entering a room full of people who are expecting you to guide them to results can be a source of tremendous pressure, ...

Member Price: $28.00
List Price: $40.00

Using ISO 9001 in Healthcare, Second Edition is a guide that outlines the methods of ISO 9001:2008 as a management system. Shop ASQ for discounts!

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

Six Sigma Green Belts need support in applying new skills after training, yet there is little research about how this works and even less advice about what support looks like in the field. This book is that missing link in providing coaching tips to ...

Member Price: $15.00
List Price: $15.00

ASQ offers member discounts on Ellis Ott's latest edition of Process Quality Control. If you are a dedicated statistical engineer looking to expand your knowledge, then this detailed resource is designed for you.

Member Price: $25.00
List Price: $25.00

The primary purpose of this book is to enable you to implement a strategic KM program in your business and derive business results from it. The contents of this book are relevant to any business—manufacturing or service, and also in education, not-fo...

Member Price: $10.00
List Price: $10.00

The book is provides a road map to help healthcare professionals establish a culture of patient safety in their practices, provide high quality healthcare and increase patient & staff satisfaction through communication between medical staff and patie...

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Customers demand and expect nothing less than great service, but try to get ten employees to agree on what great service means and you’ll find the definition to be elusive. Even though few of us personally make widgets, most change management and qua...

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This book is based on several years study of the nine Baldrige Award winners from health care. It describes how these organizations approached their “Baldrige journey” and what other health care leaders should do to reap similar benefits.

Member Price: $24.00
List Price: $40.00

Organizations face many ongoing challenges, which can lead to restructuring— an expensive, disruptive solution that doesn’t always offer successful outcomes or better results. As a business leader in a competitive environment, you must fi...

Member Price: $21.00
List Price: $30.00

In today’s uncertain times, risk has become the biggest part of management. Risk management is central to the science of prediction and decision-making; holistic and scientific risk management creates resilient organizations, which survive and ...

Member Price: $31.50
List Price: $45.00

Innovation management can provide a competitive edge in the business world, and research shows a major correlation between profitability and innovation. The challenge, however, is how to integrate innovation management with quality management. Enter ...

Member Price: $42.00
List Price: $60.00

**Updated for Minitab 18: more tools, improved graphics** This  guide explains Lean Six Sigma in a down-to-earth and practical format, and provides detailed Minitab instructions and screenshots throughout. Now in its 5th edition, with&nb...

Member Price: $69.99
List Price: $69.99