Product Description
Modern society depends heavily upon a host of systems ofvarying complexity to perform the services required. The importance ofreliability assumes new dimensions, primarily because of the highercost of these highly complex machines required by mankind and theimplication of their failure. This is why all industrial organizationswish to equip their scientists, engineers, managers and administratorswith a knowledge of reliability concepts and applications. Based onthe author's 20 years experience as reliability educator, researcherand consultant,Reliability Engineering introduces the readersystematically to reliability evaluation, prediction, allocation andoptimization.
It also covers further topics, such as maintainability andavailability, software reliability, economics of reliability,reliability management, reliability testing, etc. A reliability studyof some typical systems has been included to introduce the reader tothe practical aspects.
The book is intended for graduate students of engineering schools andalso professional engineers, managers and reliability administratorsas it has a wide coverage of reliability concepts.
... Read more

Product Description
This hands-on, user-friendly reference introduces a unique, Deming-related approach to attaining ISO 9000 registration through a proven method--TAP PDSA (Train, Audit, and Plan Plan, Do, Study, Act)--taking the reader sequentially from the beginning of a registration effort to life after registration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great overview for process improvements!
Aside from being a guide for ISO it is also a great book for creating and improving any process. The book reveals new ways to look at problems.It has proven very helpful in my work as program manager.

Direct and concise.
This book explains the registration process step-by-step. It contains interpretation of the ISO standards, as well as important addresses.The book's methods may be applied to any project or business implementation because it integrates different business management principles. ... Read more

Product Description
For Resilience Engineering, 'failure' is the result of the adaptations necessary to cope with the complexity of the real world, rather than a breakdown or malfunction. The performance of individuals and organizations must continually adjust to current conditions and, because resources and time are finite, such adjustments are always approximate. This definitive new book explores this groundbreaking new development in safety and risk management, where 'success' is based on the ability of organizations, groups and individuals to anticipate the changing shape of risk before failures and harm occur. Featuring contributions from many of the worlds leading figures in the fields of human factors and safety, "Resilience Engineering" provides provocative insights into system safety as an aggregate of its various components, subsystems, software, organizations, human behaviours, and the way in which they interact. The book provides an introduction to Resilience Engineering of systems, covering both the theoretical and practical aspects.It is written for those responsible for system safety on managerial or operational levels alike, including safety managers and engineers (line and maintenance), security experts, risk and safety consultants, human factors professionals and accident investigators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The latest in safety management
Resilience engineering is the new field for anyone interested in safety management and has found that existing methods have run out of steam. It provides ways to manage safety proactively (without having to wait for bad events to analyze and then fix) and broadens the view of what should be looked for in root cause investigations. It applies to all sorts of technologies, not just high hazard ones like nuclear power. ... Read more

Product Description
This practical reference discusses the requirements for establishing, maintaining, and revitalizing an efficient engineering documentation control system for use by technical and manufacturing personnel in private industry;stressing simplicity and common sense in the development and implementation of all control practices, procedures, and forms. ... Read more

Product Description
With 300 figures, tables, and equations, this book presents a unified approach to image quality research and modeling. The author discusses the results of different, calibrated psychometric experiments can be rigorously integrated to construct predictive software using Monte Carlo simulations and provides numerous examples of viable field applications for product design and verification of modeling predictions. He covers perceptual measurements for the assessment of individual quality attributes and overall quality, explores variation in scene susceptibility, observer sensitivity, and preference, and includes methods of analysis for testing and refining metrics based on psychometric data. ... Read more

Product Description
This text on quality control emphasizes the pre-process level design and analysis activity, covering the full range of diagnostic and experimental tools and including fundamentals of probability and statistics, TQM and Quality Function Deployment. The book presents the wide range of qualitative and quantitative material for the "proactive" attainment of quality. It includes historical material and a number of examples, case studies and illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

old book but good one
this is a good book. cover a lot quality tools. some tools need to update.

For a book about the subject, this one surely lacks Quality
Borrowing heavily from older resources (noted in the extensive footnotes to each section), this textbook attempts to teach the reader about Quality.Unfortunately, while the information is sound, it is presented in a very dry and unoriginal manner.Kolarik is surely passionate about Quality (particularly with regard to the Baldridge award), but his writing style and uninteresting case studies do not transfer any of this passion to the reader

Excelent text book for quality -related courses
Kolarik's "Cretating Quality" integrates all themes related to quality management/engineering.I've used this versatile book in graduate courses of engineering and business.Perhaps some topics like qualityleadershis and some other themes related to quality philosophies are notstressed, buy those can be easily suplemented with other readings.Trythis book.. it's a must for quality professionals. ... Read more

Product Description

The causes and impacts of power disturbances on both sides of the user-utility interface are discussed, and the results of power quality surveys are reviewed. Desirable attributes of monitoring equipment are discussed along with approaches that can be taken by the electric utilities to improve the quality of the power delivered to customers. Users of sensitive devices, such as computers and health care equipment, are given information on power quality improvement equipment, such as uninterruptible power supplies. Includes a glossary.

Product Description
This basic, comprehensive overview of total quality management (TQM) is designed to bridge the gap between engineering and management texts. Written in plain language, this text discusses how to tailor TQM to fit the specific needs of organizations of all types and sizes. The focus is on the principles and processes as well as the tools and techniques for continuous improvement. Patterns of change in the social and economic and political structure of the United States are identified to illustrate how individuals and organizations are applying TQM principles to increase productivity and effectiveness. ALSO AVAILABLE INSTRUCTOR SUPPLEMENTS CALL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO ORDER Instructor's Guide, ISBN: 0-8273-8210-3 ... Read more

Product Description
The one resource needed to create reliable software

This text offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to software quality engineering. By following the author's clear guidance, readers learn how to master the techniques to produce high-quality, reliable software, regardless of the software system's level of complexity.

The first part of the publication introduces major topics in software quality engineering and presents quality planning as an integral part of the process. Providing readers with a solid foundation in key concepts and practices, the book moves on to offer in-depth coverage of software testing as a primary means to ensure software quality; alternatives for quality assurance, including defect prevention, process improvement, inspection, formal verification, fault tolerance, safety assurance, and damage control; and measurement and analysis to close the feedback loop for quality assessment and quantifiable improvement.

The text's approach and style evolved from the author's hands-on experience in the classroom. All the pedagogical tools needed to facilitate quick learning are provided:
* Figures and tables that clarify concepts and provide quick topic summaries
* Examples that illustrate how theory is applied in real-world situations
* Comprehensive bibliography that leads to in-depth discussion of specialized topics
* Problem sets at the end of each chapter that test readers' knowledge

This is a superior textbook for software engineering, computer science, information systems, and electrical engineering students, and a dependable reference for software and computer professionals and engineers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Software Quality Engineering review
I not only read the book but took the class from Dr. Tian as well.

It is a good overview of software testing and the techniques used to provide both quality assurance and quality control (testing).

If one is intending on using this for an in depth approach for how to conduct test you will be disappointed. From an industry and practitioner standpoint even the test material in the book is a bit academic and vague and is much better supplemented by other textbooks that give a more specific approach on how to perform testing.

For example the boundary condition testing is incomplete (superficial from a practitioner standpoint) and there are more specific approaches in the industry, documented by leading industry experts in various textbooks, that provide a more complete and prescriptive approach for boundary testing.

It does have an innovative approach for dealing with web page testing and coverage, but since that is not my specialty in software testing I cannot say how practical it is. The other area of innovation is in the Markov chain testing approach and the Unified Markov Model. These seem to be more practical from a usage standpoint.

In general this is a good overview book. If you are intending to use this for test generation or coverage there are other textbooks that provide more specific coverage.

Too much blah, blah, blah. Not enough specifics. Boring. Redundant.
I made the mistake of assigning this book for CSE 5321 Software Testing (a graduate course) at the University of Texas at Arlington during the fall of 2008. I abandoned it 2/3 of the way into the semester. I replaced it with "Introduction to Software Testing" by Ammann & Offutt.

The title of my review pretty much says it all.

Jeff Tian: SQE
Takes a while to get used to the book. Not the easiest to understand
Lots of good information and concepts. Strongly recommended if you are willing to do the brain work ... Read more

Product Description
The goal of this book is to provide a global perspective on the past, present and future of engineering education quality assurance. The objectives are to describe the history of engineering education quality assurance within a global higher education context, provide the first world-wide review of existing quality assurance schemes in engineering education and the issues related to their development and implementation, and present a generic Global Model of Engineering Quality Assurance based on the lessons learned in the past that may guide future developments in engineering education quality assurance. ... Read more

Product Description
This book includes an introduction to some important reliability concepts and a review of terminology. The work is divided into three sections: modelling, evaluation and assurance. ... Read more

Product Description
Indoor Air Quality Engineering is a textbook for students and a reference book for professionals in engineering, industrial hygiene and related fields. Because the specialty is new to engineering, there are research papers on the topic but no good textbook for students. This book explores many topics relevant to the work of engineering students and professional engineers, who increasingly face indoor air quality issues, particularly in the design of ventilation and filtration systems and contaminant removal. Professional industrial hygienists and students in that field will also find the book useful as it explores engineering principles not traditionally covered in industrial hygiene texts. ... Read more

Product Description
An excellent resource for any organization seeking to use the criteria for quality and performance improvement. Includes tips on the application process as well as common mistakes to avoid. Paper. DLC: Malcolm Baldrige Natl Quality Award. ... Read more

Product Description
A compact reference containing the newest material in sound quality crucial for a more effective product design process. Progresses from the introductory to the advanced level topics such as sound radiation. Also shows how to target, resolve, and test design features. DLC: Design, Industrial. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Only one book covering product sound quality design
This book deals with fundamental issues concerning "product" sound quality design. Conventional books deals with only subjective evaluation methods or pycho-acoustics. Good part of this book is that it relates such conventional field to physical aspects governed by acoustics and mehanical vibration. However, from the view point of automotive NVH engineer who have much experience of improving motor vehicle sound quality, this book lacks advanced technology of improving excitation force spectrum or structural transmission characteristics in today's industry. However, engineers who want to begin sound quality design should read this book once.

Not Worth the Money
Some interesting discussions but nothing thorough or in-depth. Buyers should note that the firm has an on-going consulting and engineering practice. ... Read more

Product Description
This book covers all of the topics listed in the Certified Quality Technician Body of Knowledge. The conversational tone of this reference book makes it easy to read while helping readers master quality assurance subject matter. Those interested in auditing, design of experiments, education, management, quality costs, sampling, and reliability will find this text helpful. Whether you want to brush up on skills needed in your profession, or review material before taking the Certified Quality Technician exam, this guide can help. Readers do not need a formal statistical background nor is it necessary to attend a course before using this book. This guide can also help an engineer or quality professional brush up on skills required for one’s job due to newly assigned responsibilities.

Additionally the authors provide references and introductions to topics that quality technicians will need as they grow more advanced in their career. Review questions are included in a supplementary section. While no text can guarantee success, it’s an excellent resource for those preparing to take the Certified Quality Technician exam or for your professional library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Incomplete package
The book is fine but I did not receive the CD that comes with it. I am very disappointed about that and even thought about next time ordering from another company. Spending that amount of money and not receiving everything these days is unacceptable. You need to advertise if everything is included or not and leave it up to the customer to decide whether to buy. ... Read more

Product Description
More quality, more flexibility, and less costs seem to be the key to meeting the demands of the global marketplace. The secret to success in this arena lies in the expert execution of the critical tasks in the product definition stage. Prototyping is an essential part of this stage, yet can be very expensive. It must be planned well and use state-of-the-art rapid and virtual prototyping tools to accelerate the process. Emphasizing the important role of prototyping in product definition, Rapid Prototyping and Engineering Applications: A Toolbox for Prototype Development covers a wide spectrum of prototyping tools with over 400 figures that give you instant access to the concepts.

The book discusses engineering procedures and the application of modern prototyping technologies, such as Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Virtual Prototyping (VP), that quickly deliver new products with lower costs and higher quality. Extensive examples and case studies make the author’s delineation of industrial practices easy to grasp. Practice exercises in each chapter develop problem-solving techniques and coverage of state-of-the-art RP technologies provides modern prototyping knowledge. And although the book highlights RP technologies extensively, it also explores other prototyping tools and methodologies, setting it apart as one of the few resources to cover both. It delineates the technologies required for well-planned prototyping that not only save money but decrease time to market. ... Read more

Product Description
Make the Most of QFD and the Voice of the Customer in Six Sigma Environments

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) techniques have helped thousands of organizations deliver higher-quality, more user-focused product designs. Now, Lou Cohen’s classic guide to QFD has been thoroughly updated to fully align QFD with Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and other state-of-the-art Six Sigma methodologies.

Revised by world-class Six Sigma expert Joe Ficalora and his team at Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, this new edition’s up-to-date perspective on QFD reflects dozens of successful Six Sigma and DFSS deployments. They offer a start-to-finish methodology for implementing QFD, and systematically illuminate powerful linkages between QFD and Six Sigma, DFSS, Marketing for Six Sigma (MFSS), and Technology for Six Sigma (TFSS). An expanded, start-to-finish case study demonstrates how QFD should function from all angles, from design and marketing to technology and service.

Learn how to

• Identify the roles and advantages of QFD in today’s global business environment
• Understand every element of the House of Quality (HOQ)
• Use QFD to drive more competitive product and service development
• Move from the processes you have to the processes you want
• Anticipate QFD’s unique challenges, overcome its obstacles, and deploy it successfully
• Extend the HOQ concept all the way through project completion
• Deploy powerful Voice of the Customer (VOC) techniques throughout all phases of development, not just planning
• Adapt QFD for software development, service development, and organizational planning

Customer Reviews (2)

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Are you a black belt or green belt in Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Joseph P. Ficalora and Louis Cohen, have done an outstanding job of writing the second edition of a QFD reference book that will help you improve your company's new product development process.

Ficalora and Cohen, begin by providing motivation for QFD and puts it into perspective within the framework of the global business environment. Then, the authors explain QFD in an expository fashion. The authors also provide an organizational perspective on the way product and service development occurs. They continue by showing you how to implement QFD with regards to starting, what to anticipate, and how to finish successfully. Finally, the authors point the way to extensions of the HOQ that can take the development team all the way to the completion of its project.

This most excellent book fulfills the need for many engineers, mangers, and engineering supervisors who wish to improve their companies' new-product development processes by including QFD, by itself or with deployment of Lean Six Sigma or DFSS. Perhaps more importantly, this great book can be used as a quick reference guide to specific technical information and design recommendations.

Vey Comprehensive Update to a classic
This easy to use handbook by Joseph Ficalora and Louis Cohen is even better in its second edition. The authors clearly discuss manytopics of use to professionals and students. I find the free electronic version particularly handy as source material for client presentations. The text's numerous examples aid in understanding some of the more difficult concepts such as handling implementation issues in a large and complex organizations, incorporation of quality practices in new product design and the use of the product planning matrix.The techniques discussed are applicble to a wide range of efforts

Overall this reference is a valuable addition to a professional's bookshelf for self instruction and quick reference. Also, I think it would be suitable as a textbook for an undergraduate, graduate or professional development courses in Quality Management. The text might also find use as an additional resource for a product and service design and development courses often included in industrial engineering programs. ... Read more

Product Description
Internal Auditing is an essential tool for managing compliance with health and safety, environmental safety and quality standards. Increasingly these three areas are audited by the same professionals to proliferating standards (e.g. OHSAS 18001 for health and safety, ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environment). This book delivers a powerful and proven approach to auditing business-critical risk areas. It covers each of the aspects that need to be taken into account for a successful audit to recognised standards and is an important resource for auditors, managers, health and safety professionals, and anyone with a critical interest in governance and organizational improvement.

Stephen Asbury is Managing Director of Corporate Risk Systems Limited, providing risk management consultancy, training and software. He is a Member of the Council of IOSH and Chair of the IOSH Professional Committee.Stephen has over 20 years' experience as a health, safety and environment practitioner, and a regular contributor to conferences, journals and other publications.

Peter Ashwell is Managing Director of Kingdom Management Limited,an Internal Audit training consultancy which has been servicing multinational clients worldwide for the last 16 years. He is a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management with over 30 years experience in business.

* Shows practitioners how to carry out internal audits to the key health and safety, environment and quality standards
* Risk based approach ensures that business critical factors are properly managed and controlled, giving maximum assurance to management
* Includes checklists, forms and toolkits - also available as free downloads from companion website ... Read more

Product Description
There is no easy answer to the question, “What is RCA?” Some will give a general idea of what Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is designed to accomplish, while others will advocate a specific approach. In this third edition of the best-selling Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results, acclaimed experts Robert and Kenneth Latino offer a broad look at the various types of approaches to RCA, comparing their pros and cons while supplying practical tools for implementing or improving current RCA initiatives.

This edition expands the scope of RCA, taking a holistic approach that includes recent perspectives, opportunity analysis, and RCA’s fit with current initiatives such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma. In addition to a broader perspective, the book presents updated and expanded material including: a chapter devoted to problem-solving/brainstorming; methodology versus software; using the PROACT^® approach complimented by the PROACT^® Enterprise Version 3.0 software; discussion of the various conflicting definitions of common terms used in RCA; and a focus on measuring ROI.

Emphasizing the organizational support necessary for successful RCA efforts, Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results, Third Edition demystifies the concepts involved in effective RCA and presents hands-on guidance for program enactment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Very good book for professionals
It is a good book for PROACT process, we are going to use mandatory in our Company.

A unique and efective approach
During the past ten years I have worked with a nunber of methodologies in the area of Root cause analysis. During this time I have seen none as effective and cost efficient as the PROACT methodologies showcased in this book.

Bob has written a classic RCA manual for all people in all industries. I personally have used both the methodology and software to great effect and would recommend them to anyone.

If you are serious about a reliability growth program in your site, then you need this book!

A very readable book detailing an excellent system
I co-ordinate a root cause troubleshooting clinic at a major engine manufacturer.We have had moderate success with our investigations and have developed several powerful methodologies.This book has taken our procedures one large step further with a coherent, effective method to analyse and document a problem to root cause.The combination of system diagram, logic tree and verification log described in the book is exactly the kind of methodology we needed and is proving very useful.The book is well written and is filled with useful guidelines for such required activities as information gathering and selection of the most productive analyses to perform.I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in root cause analysis.

Plant Engineering Magazine Senior Editor
Closing the gap between the goals companies set and their actual situations is the overall focus of this book. Written by two experienced executives from the Reliability Center, Inc., the book helps readersidentify, resolve, and eliminate the chronic plant floor issues, such asrepeated equipment or system failures, that hinder the attainment oforganizational goals.

Specialists in root cause analysis methodology, theauthors discuss the roles of management and a root cause analysis team inprioritizing the problems to analyze, automationg the process, and helpingto uncover the physical, human, and latent causes of undesirable workplaceevents. They point out that the gap between goals and reality that existsin virtually every industry leads to undesirable outcomes, failures, andincidents that siphon profits from the corporate coffers. To close the gap,they explain, companies must reinvent the way they work, understanding whyerrors occur and how to prevent them.

The book explains root causeanalysis, which is a structured process designed to uncover the cause ofany undesirable workplace event. The PROACT steps outlined in the bookteach companies how to preserve event data, order the analysis team,analyze the data using logic trees, communicate findings andrecommendations, and track for bottom-line results.

Case studies are usedto illustrate the potential of root cause analysis, showing itseffectiveness in particular in steelmaking, customer service, andmanufacturing. Software for automating root cause analysis is alsodiscussed. Informative, well-illustrated and well-organized text isworthwhile reading for any plant engineer seeking to understand why errorsoccur and to eliminate them, and have a direct positive impact on hiscompany's bottom line.

RCA the way to go
I have now been involved with RCA for several years and it's the way to go in the future.This book is a good example of what Root Cause Analysis is all about.The book focuses on the use of the PROACT system and I imaginewould they would work very well together.I am looking at trying PROACT aswell, not just yet!Good book easy to read and gives good definitions tothose foggy terms.I enjoyed the book and I use it for my job which speaksfor it's self, it doesn't hide in a cupboard or on a shelf.I get thefeeling this book is one of the better ones in the bunch, not just someonewho has jumped on the RCA bandwagon because it's a flavour of the month. ... Read more

Product Description
Using an interdisciplinary perspective, this outstanding book provides an introduction to the theory and practice of reliability engineering. This revised edition contains a number of improvements: new material on quality-related methodologies, inclusion of spreadsheet solutions for certain examples, a more detailed treatment which ties the load-capacity approach to reliability to failure rate methodology; a new section dealing with safety hazards of products and equipment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Many years of use - Excellent Book
I have been a Reliability Engineer since 1976.The first 8 years for a commercial company and since then for a military contractor.I have taught several preparatory courses geared for the Certified Reliability Engineering Examination offered by ASQ. both under contract with ASQ and for co-workers in my own company.The first edition of this book is one of three books I found invaluable in finding material for those courses and for my daily work.It is filled with examples at varying levels of sophistocation which are critical for anyone checking their understanding of new concepts - both supplementing the text and in problem sets (with answers to many, but not all, of the problems at the back of the book).It contains derivations of the key formulas of Reliability.

I found very few mistakes in the first edition. If your goal is to obtain a good technical working knowledge of the mathematics of Reliability Engineering it is on a par with Reliability in Engineering Design by Kapur and Lamberson - another excellent book.If your specialty is Military Reliability (Availability, Maintainability and Durability), this book is not as useful for military terminology reference as the less mathematically thorough, but nevertheless excellent book, Practical Reliability Engineering by Patrick D.T. O'Connor.

I own two copies, one is literally full of my own notes.I would not part with it for anything.

E E Lewis, Introduction to Reliability Engineering, 2nd Ed.
I have used this book for three years now in the final year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree programme as one of the major textbooks in Maintenance Engineering. I have found it to be very good and easy to follow. The material is easily understood by the class and they appreciate the relevancy of reliability in Maintenance engineering rather than just in manufacturubg and design.

It would however have been better if a companion textbook was available with solutions to all the problems given at the end of each chapter. This would be a very useful tool for the lecturers and other instructors using the book.

Grain M Munakaampe
Department of Mechanical Engineering
School of Engineering
University of Zambia
P O Box 32379
LUSAKA 10101
Zambia. ... Read more