Describing the main concepts of total quality management, this book explains the difference between TQM and traditional quality control. The key issues in making TQM the fundamental business principle are illustrated with case studies. For example, the poor qualtiy processes at the Bhopal pesticide plant in India cost Union Carbide Corporation #420 million in compensation claims; the Space Shuttle explosion (the "major malfunction of Challenger") was the tragic cost of poor quality engineering and bad processes; and the sinking of the British ferry, Herald of Free Enterprise, was the result of badly-implemented safety procedures. TQM is a rational attempt to avoid such eventualities.