The Editor Professor Klaus J Zink is one of Germany s leading exponents of TQM. In addition to occupying the Chair in Industrial Management at the University of Kaiserslautern, he is CEO of a successful consulting company and the author of more than 150 books or articles on management and technology. Since 1992 Professor Zink has served on the jury of the European Quality Award and he is actively involved in the TQM movement at both national and international levels.