Summary

This book is one of the few English language texts devoted to the subject of quality costing. The material is based on research work carried out by the authors at the Manchester School of Managememt, UMIST, over the last nine years or so. The research has been mainly in manufac­ turing organizations but work has also been conducted in non-manufac­ turing concerns (e. g. marketing and service operations, and commerce). The book will provide managers with sound practical advice on how to define, collect, analyse, report and use quality costs. The text covers all the main aspects of quality costing and an attempt has been made to structure the book in the sequence by which organizations should set about a quality costing exercise. The book opens by examining the background of quality costing. This is followed by chapters on definitions of quality costs, collection of quality costs, analysis and reporting of quality costs, and the uses of quality costs. Examples from manufacturing organizations and non­ manufacturing situations are used throughout the first five chapters to illustrate the key points discussed in the text. The next four chapters are case studies which provide considerable detail on quality costing in companies from the mechanical and electronics industries. To preserve anonymity the companies are not referred to by name.