Quality and Process Improvement Theories

Named frameworks and methods, concentrated in the mid to late twentieth century, for systematically improving product quality, eliminating waste and continuously refining a work process, including total quality management, statistical process-control methods, continuous small-scale improvement, lean manufacturing, the Toyota production system, the plan-do-check-act improvement cycle, and business process re-engineering's more radical redesign of a whole process. Belongs here: any theory or method whose primary concern is measurably improving the quality or efficiency of an existing production or work process. Does not belong here: a general theory of worker motivation or organizational structure with no specific quality or process-improvement method attached.