For a long time, quality has been one of industry's main preoccupations.
It remains so today. There is some foundation for the statement that
there is a 'quality crisis' in Europe, the methods traditionally used in
our industries being unable to meet today's demands. Consequently it is
essential to look for new directions in which to progress, taking
account of the methods for achieving quality that have been developed in
recent years. These methods impact on all parts of the industrial
enterprise - marketing, manufacturing, research and development,
after-sales services. All staff, administrative or technical, are
involved. The present book describes the tools that can help anyone who
is concerned with the concept of 'total quality'; it will also be a
valuable educational aid for students reading for degrees or other
qualifications in engineering. P. Lyonnet I General questions and
concepts 1 INTRODUCTION: HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE TOTAL QUALITY? This book is
concerned with the various techniques and methods of analysis that can
be used to ensure total quality in a project. In this first chapter we
show the costs that result from not achieving quality, so as to make
clear how important a quality-assurance service is to any enterprise. We
stress also the involvement of marketing, particularly in laying down
specifications for reliability.
