MAKING PRODUCTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

It is clear to all, at this point in time, that manufacturing and quality has waned in the US over the past 50 years. Not only has manufacturing involving human labor been reduced by robotics and off-shoring to less expensive “hands”, but we also find that the quality of manufactured goods in the US is slipping compared to various international competitors.

We can no longer necessarily assume many manufactured goods from the US are the best in the world. Certainly, the locus of quality for cars, appliances, etc. has now moved to other countries. Ford and GM have all but given up on manufacturing cars, limiting their production to trucks and SUVs. And the quality problems only seem to increase. Only Ford of the big three auto makers took the lessons of Deming seriously for some period, and only Ford has survived as an intact company, with Chrysler sold off and GM having been bailed out of bankruptcy. It is time for a new approach that assumes the goodwill and partnership among all the stakeholders in manufacturing concerns. A good example, perhaps, is the Mini plant in the UK, even though their quality is far from perfect.

In order to make the best car or the best washing machine, we have to decide what our criteria are for “best”. They must be prioritized according to what many consumers actually need rather than what they might buy based on impulse. We see that many consumers currently buy cars and washing machines (for example) according to the following priorities: