From the Back Cover
"A thoughtful, complete, and very readable approach to robust engineering. It presents insights that correlate with those learned at Ford while developing and executing Design for Six Sigma. Having this book three years ago could’ve helped with that effort."
–David Amos • DFSS Deployment Director
Ford Motor Company
"A must-read road map . . . Dr. Thornton cogently explains the importance and the effective implementation of variation risk management across the enterprise to managers, designers, and customers alike."
–Mike Vander Wel, PE • Build Integration/Final Assembly Manager
7E7 Commercial Airplane Program
Boeing Commercial Aircraft Group
"Dr. Thornton has developed a straightforward and simple way to use this process for aligning customer requirements, product design, process capability, and quality inspections. It works well in the real world!"
–Thomas Gonzalez • Divisional Vice President, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs
Immunoassay and Clinical Chemistry
Abbott Diagnostics Division
Written by Anna C. Thornton, the well-known author who coined the phrase "variation risk management," this comprehensive book presents new methods and implementation strategies based on her research of industry practices and her personal experience with such companies as Baxter Healthcare Corporation, The Boeing Company, Boston Scientific Corporation, Eastman Kodak Company, Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and many others.
Variation Risk Management helps businesses in product development and production focus their company variation reduction and quality efforts with quantitative methods that have proven successful at top corporations. Step-by-step guidelines demonstrate how to implement and apply variation risk management to real-world problems within the existing systems of an organization.
About the Author
ANNA C. THORNTON, PHD, is a partner at Analytics Operations Engineering, Inc., where she helps a wide variety of companies implement, streamline, and improve their quality and product development initiatives. A leading expert in the field, she focuses on developing modeling tools to help with resource allocation and strategy decisions for variation control in design and production.
