Greetings,

The weather is cool and crisp and thus it is a perfect time to discuss a Hot topic.  Now, it may take a few additional articles to really express this topic fully, there is no time like the present to get started.  So, what is the topic?

Today’s topic is “Where Does Quality Begin?”  Over 40 years of experience in all facets of high technology industry has counseled me on this topic.  While my views may not track the classic version of Quality Control, the views probably do not diverge to far from the more accepted views.  Let’s see where this leads.

Historically, Quality Control began in the 1920s based on the work of Walter Shewhart, an employee of Bell Telephone Laboratories.  Shewhart’s work began to find favor with Industry of that time, and thus in 1931, he published his now famous book titled   "Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product".

Although Shewhart’s book rapidly gained a following in Industry, it was not until the early 1940s that Quality Control really came to mean something to Industry, and by 1960 and following, Quality Control (i.e – QC) became a member of the Industry Organization Chart.

“So where is QC today” you ask?

Recall from previous articles that Quality Control has three Tiers.  The Tiers include Manufacturing Organizations, Dealerships, and the ultimate Customer.  Each of these Tiers has a specific responsibility for exercising the Quality Control function.  The previous articles have discussed the role of the Customer and the Dealership in the QC process.  Today we move to the role of the Manufacturing Organization and its responsibility.

Most classical definitions of the QC role would place a high percentage (90 percent or better) of the responsibility for the Quality Control process on the Manufacturing Organization.  However, in this day and age, that may not be fully true.  While Manufacturing Organizations must shoulder a portion of the responsibility for QC, QC really starts at a level earlier than Manufacturing.  That level is at the Concept and Engineering functions.

Let’s see how this fits together.

Let’s start with the premise that Quality in a Product cannot be built into the Product.  Now you may disagree with that statement, but so be it.  The basic quality in a Product begins with a vision of what the Product will consist of when it is completely assembled.  If you find this statement hard to swallow, just think back for a moment and reflect on how the Automobile Industry has been transformed.  As one of the leading Auto Industry giants states “Quality is Job #1”.

The RV Industry, while embracing some of the characteristics of the Automobile Industry, is also very different.  Yes, it proliferates new models on a regular basis and relies on extensive Dealership organizations to display and sell the Product to Consumers, but the RV Industry has been very slow to embrace a formal program of Quality Assurance.

Now the role and value of a formal Quality Assurance program that is based on the ISO Standards ISO 9000, 9001, and 9002 (in their latest versions) can be debated as to their effectiveness.  But, in the end, some form of these programs will be required if the RV Industry is to fully embrace Quality Control.

More on this topic will be in a later issue.  If you wish to express your views on this subject (or any other for that matter), please send them to me.

Respectfully,

Tech Support