quality system casestudy: how to start?

Thread Starter

harami

Joined Jun 20, 2011
66
Many of the Far Eastern companies have over the last 50 years or so become World class players in their field. Many have done this from very modest roots, particularly in the consumer goods, electronics and automotive sectors.

Many Western companies now look to these Far Eastern enterprises as role models for quality improvements.


With a focus on quality issues

1. What were the issues that transformed these companies into World class players?

2. What influence did the West play in this transformation?

3. What can we learn from these companies today?

4. What have been the strategic issues that many Western companies have done to stem the onslaught of these Far Eastern companies.

this is the brief i have been given. i dont know where to start? i know what i have to do but i just dont know how to start? Can anyone help please!!!
 

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
Much of the focus on quality and process control was built on statistical stuff developed in the first half of the 20th century. A key name in the story is Deming, especially in Japan (the sluggish, cocksure American industries took quite a while to realize they were getting handed their lunch in the quality arena).

Many geezers my age and older remember the horrible reputation Japanese products had in the 40's after World War 2 and the 50's and 60's. Then their strategy changed by focusing on quality at a decent price. Of course, once you get a quality reputation, you can raise your prices. This is not new stuff and was probably practiced by Babylonian merchants. :p

I watched a lot of US manufacturing go overseas in the 80's and 90's. If you want to know why the US economy sucks (besides greed and corruption in government), loss of a lot of manufacturing AND the critically important knowledge on how to do it plays a role.
 

Kermit2

Joined Feb 5, 2010
4,162
Boiled down to one central statement.

You cannot INSPECT quality into anything. Just because you check the threads, and verify the operations. Just because it passed the test and meets the specs. These steps do not put QUALITY into a product. Only the PEOPLE who make it can put quality into it. If they just make it and don't have any skin in the game. If they take no pride in doing it right. If it is just 'slapped' together. Then it doesn't matter how much you test it and probe it and drop it and cook it. When your finished with your 'checks' you'll have the same shoddy piece of crap that the worker built in the first place. Inspection departments can prevent mistakes from reaching market, they can't make the product 'good'.
 

TBayBoy

Joined May 25, 2011
148
From very modest roots is a nice way to say they started from the end of WWII with an industrial complex bombed into oblivion, so it could be rebuilt without ties to old ways of thinking; however, I would say the primary advance is the long view. Many industries in Japan, think in 5 or 10 year cycles, rather than the traditional north American view of fiscal quarter. Our ever incessant chase for the quick buck means we often miss opportunities that may take a year or two to pay off, leaving enormous markets unexploited. How many times have we heard on the news about a company not making their quarterly projections and think they are in trouble.
 

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
You cannot INSPECT quality into anything.
Actually, you can -- but you can have very low yields and fail from a business perspective.

But I agree with your basic sentiments -- and I've actually lived as a process engineer in a high tech production environment and know what it took to get the process under control (it took years, millions of dollars, and careful training of everyone involved). The real secret of producing high quality stuff cost effectively is understanding the physics and causal relationships amongst the different aspects of a production process.

You also need the management will needed to manage the business with respect to that ideal. I've worked in places where the walls were papered with control charts and SQC-speak, but the management team still didn't get it, and the results were as expected.

One of the high points of my technical career was getting my process into a state of control and knowing how to respond to any of the problems/perturbations that would turn up. I got a promotion because of it and a rather nice stock option too.
 

Thread Starter

harami

Joined Jun 20, 2011
66
i have started doing the research. so far i have researched about the success of toyota and deming principles. on the first question it asks for the issues that transformed these companies into World class players. when it says issues, does it mean how these companies transformed or what made them to transform.
And on second question, its says What influence did the West play in this transformation? does this mean how the western companies applies those ideas and principles from far eastern companies?

im having difficulty doing this report. i seriously need help...
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
What influence did the West play in this transformation?
You said you read more about Deming ... a westerner. Would you say his principles played an influence on toyota? U.S. companies were late to implement Deming's principles.
 

Thread Starter

harami

Joined Jun 20, 2011
66
on the brief given its referring to the Far eastern companies. when i write my report is it ok if i focus on toyota and few other companies or do i have to write about far eastern companies as a whole without focusing on a particular company (like toyota)?
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
on the brief given its referring to the Far eastern companies. when i write my report is it ok if i focus on toyota and few other companies or do i have to write about far eastern companies as a whole without focusing on a particular company (like toyota)?
As you are unclear on your assignment, it's best if you consult with your professor to clear up your concerns.
 
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