🚀 go-pugleaf

In a message dated 11/19/98 15:41:08, you wrote:

<<
My question is: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR QUALITY IN THE 21st CENTURY?
What news (or old) should I look for for next century's quality? What
will be new to you?

Your thoughts are welcome.
Johan Maertens, CSP, MSE
Western Michigan University
Engineering College

mineral.maertens@wmich.edu
>>

Is quality dead? No, but I think within business it has taken on different
forms.  IS TQM dead? No, but it certianly doesn't get the play it had.

There are a couple of issues that surround this topic.  First, there are more
distractions, ISO-9000, QS-9000, ISO-14000.  These are certainly quality
activities.... the number if ISO & QS 9000 companies are increasing, at it is
becoming the price of poker in a number of industries.

Now, I certainly don't believe that a company with an ISO or QS rating is a
quality company, but it does say something about the state of their quality
system.

As for Baldrige, more companies inquire or use the criteria as a self
assessment.  They has also been significant growth in state awards that have
drawn off some activity from Baldrige.

I think quality of product and service in the market place is as important or
more important then ever.  However, there are still managers who run
corporations who don't and probably won't understand TQM, quality systems,
MBQNA, or any of that.  They still think that 93% of 14,000 units per day is
better than 99% of 12,000, even thopugh the best estimates of the cost of
quality in the organization is at or near 30% of sales.  Inertia of thought is
a tough thing to overcome, regardless of the reams of data avaliable.

Martin Luther King once said (loosely paraphrased), the  old guard of any
organization resists change since they wear the decorations and awards of
doing battle in the accepted manner.

Most companies apprached TQM and all of the other "fads" in the same manner.
They found what they like in the idea, regardless of the core assumptions
(then usually violated), and had their underlings implement it without their
active participation or leadership.  Then they expected to have the benefits
magically appear without any investment monetary or otherwise.  Deming said
there is no instant pudding.

Quality is not dead, but quality practicitioners need to communicate in the
language of management, demonstrate results, and show that quality makes money
both by reducing costs and improving customer value.  Is it easy, no!!!!!!

Robert Drensek, CQE, CQA, CRE
Quality Engineer
RNAV@AOL.COM