The Ultimate Responsibility of Your Product or Service

A few years ago, three Citadel cadets died in a car crash on Interstate 95 in Dorchester County. In yesterday's paper, I learned that the victim's families filed a lawsuit against the tiremaker claiming that defective tires led to the crash. The defects were allegedly created in the manufacturing process.

I felt unease to use this incident to illustrate a point. But, as is often said, everything happens for a reason. If a lesson can be learned from this horrible incident, then future tragedies may be prevented.

A process is simply inputs being converted into outputs. In manufacturing, engineers own processes. They must understand the needs of the customer and translate the needs into specifications and requirements for production. They then create the mechanism for creating the product or service. People carry out the process every day but engineers create the process.

Capable and stable processes create good products or services. Incapable and unstable processes create bad products or services.

Part of developing a process is to anticipate what can go wrong in the use of the product or service. This is the PFMEA approach that I have talked about in other posts. By anticipating what can go wrong, preventive measures can be taken to avoid actual occurrence. Sure, this is easier said than done but this activity can not be skipped or partially performed.

I tell my football playing son that he can't take a play off. He can't relax. The one play he rests on could cost his team the game. So goes the nature of quality. Quality can't take a day, hour, or minute off. Most manufacturing plants run 24/7 so every minute counts.