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Managing Quality: Integrating the Supply Chain, Third Edition by S. Thomas Foster. Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2007. 568 pp. with CD-ROM. $142.80.
Reviewer: David C. Drain, University of MissouriRolla, Rolla, Missouri 65401.
THE VOLUME is an introduction to the subject of quality management. In spite of the supply chain reference in the title it is not focused primarily on supply chain management, but rather emphasizes the change from historically internal (factory) focus to external (supply chain) focus. As the author states, "This is not a supply chain management text. This is a quality management text that utilizes supply chain management as a unifying theme." The book consists of 16 chapters organized into four parts: understanding quality concepts, designing and assuring quality, implementing quality, and forever improving the quality system. The text is supplemented by numerous actual case studies that seem carefully chosen to augment and illuminate the concepts presented in each chapter. Discussion questions accompany most case studies and a corporate web site is given for those seeking further information. At the end of each chapter discussion questions, further case studies, and in some cases problems are given. A CDROM containing video clips and Excel files comes with the student version of the text. A web-site for this edition of the text was not yet available at the time of this writing. Production values are in general very good, my only quibble being the choice of blue print as it seems to make reading difficult in low light.
In the first chapter product quality and service quality dimensions are explained and the supply chain perspective is introduced. Supplier development, logistics, and supporting tools such as EDI (electronic data interchange) as presented. The Fedex case study here is a good example of the integration of a service organization into the supply chain of many other companies.
Chapter two gives a balanced overview of the many theories of quality, primarily through the works of leading contributors to quality theory. Deming, Juran, Ishikawa, Feigenbaum, Crosby, Taguchi as well as more modern visionaries such as Tom Peters, Michael Hammer and Stephen Covey are all mentioned. Throughout the chapter discussion of each theory is respectful and unbiased. The author is careful to point out the dangers...