Quality Progress - American Society for Quality

PS Those who die with the most letters win.
17024 Letter: This Practical Approach Has Been Lacking in Seminars
ASQ Staff
Sep-18-03
John Dew's 7 taxonomies are the most fundamental, down to earth and practical
observations I've read on root cause analysis ("The Seven Deadly Sins of Quality
Management," September 2003, p. 59). I am an active member in Nadcap and a voting
member on the Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group. Root and cause and corrective action has
been the sinlge greatest area of weakness identified in the entire defence contractor base.
Dew deserves a standing ovation for this article. When he states that "An appropriate rule
of thumb is....to dig until you reach the point of admitting something really embarrassing
about the organization"... is something he obviously has earned from exprerience. This
practical approach is what's been lacking in industry seminars and classes. We live in a
real world with real people performing real jobs. The mechanics of quality control should
never overshadow the understanding that people still manufacture, perform, and are
responsible for making quality decisions every day.
Stuart Sherman
Quality Director
Metallurgical Processing Inc.
New Britain, CT
ssherman@mpimetaltreating.com
17023 Letter: People Surveyed Didn't Understand Quality Systems
ASQ Staff
Sep-18-03
When I read Robert Karaszewski's "World View" column "Quality and the World's
Largest Corporations" (September 2003, p. 86), it appeared the people in the survey were
not educated in the present quality management systems. Below is an analysis of what I
feel is the way the system really works. If management is properly trained I believe they
will see it as I do. Please let me know your feelings about this.If we look at the various
management systems used in a business, they can be listed as follows: A? Top
management system: At this level the system starts with the owner or board of directors.
It is the policies established to guide and measure the organization and to insure that the
planning for the future is under control an that a feed back process exist from the
customer, the stock holder, the suppliers and the community to insure they are happy with
the company. Every owner or board of directors has a process, which is very complex to
get information that allows for good decision-making. The processes below are
supporting systems for top management.
a. Sales management system,
b. Accounting or financial management system,
c. Human Resource management system.