Book excerpt: This book was written to aid quality technicians and engineers. It is a result of 30 years of quality-related work experience. To that end, the intent of this book is to provide the quality professional working in virtually any industry a quick, convenient, and comprehensive guide to properly conducting design of experiments (DOE) for the purpose of process optimization. This is a practical introduction to the basics of DOE, intended for people who have never been exposed to design of experiments, been intimidated in their attempts to learn about DOE, or have not appreciated the potential of this family of tools in their process improvement and optimization efforts. In addition, this book is a useful reference when preparing for and taking many of the ASQ quality certification examinations, including the Certified Quality Technician (CQT), Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), and Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE).