Management by Measurement (eBook)

Foreword 5
Preface 7
Contents 9
1. Quality and process indicators 12
1.1 General concepts 12
1.2 Quality Management Systems 13
1.3 The concept of process 15
1.4 Process indicators 18
2. Indicators criticalities and curiosities 32
2.1 Introduction 32
2.2 HDI indicator 33
2.3 Air quality indicators 43
2.4 The Decathlon competition 59
3. The condition of uniqueness in process representation 65
3.1 Introduction 65
3.2 The formal concept of “indicator” 66
3.3 The condition of “uniqueness” 71
4. Performance indicators properties 82
4.1 Introduction 82
4.2 Local and aggregated performances 82
4.3 General remarks 84
4.4 Indicators classification 86
4.5 A brief outline of the indicators properties in the literature 91
4.6 A proposal of a taxonomy for indicators properties 93
4.7 Accessory properties 110
4.8 Indicators construction and check of properties 111
5. Designing a performance measurement system 117
5.1 Introduction 117
5.2 The concept of performance measurement system 117
5.3 The construction process 121
5.4 A review of the major reference models 131
5.5 The problem of indicators’ synthesis 147
5.6 Implementing a system of performance indicators 174
5.7 Maintaining a performance measurement system 202
5.8 Effective use and misuse of indicators 203
5.9 Indicators as conceptual technologies 207
6. Indicators, measurements, preferences and evaluations: a scheme of classification according to the representational theory 215
6.1 Introduction 215
6.2 Two criteria of discrimination: empiricity and objectivity 216
6.3 The representational definition of measurement 218
6.4 Evaluations 222
6.5 Preference 227
6.6 The concept of “dictation” 231
6.7 Conclusions 232
References 235
Index 245