Book excerpt: Written for practitioners and students with an engineering background, this book bridges the gap between their understanding of the techniques of quality control and the wider definition of TQM which is now accepted as a key part of business philosophy. Analyzes the relevance of total quality management (TQM) to changes in the engineering profession in the light of its increased involvement in company practices. It presents a broad picture of TQM and its main aspects and explains why it is considered as the major thrust for future competitiveness.