The bottom line in most manufacturing plants is production. The more production a facility puts out, the lower the unit cost of the product, or so the belief is. In the past few decades, a new push on quality improvement and control to add value has been gaining in popularity. However; with this push has been a fear that with quality improvement activities, productivity may suffer. With skilled workers on the production line, this should not be a long-term worry.
Production has and always will be important, but without a quality product that will last, what does it really matter? Would a company rather have ten finished products that are of poor quality, or five that are made right, that will make the customer happy and lead to loyalty and more future sales and good word of mouth advertizing? This is the fine line that confronts supervisors in manufacturing plants today, and there are trade-offs that must be discussed and solutions that must be implemented.
The best trade-off today to ensure a company's long-term survival in a global and dynamic marketplace is to ensure quality at all times, even at the expense of some production. A better product, that lasts and provides superior utility to the end user is the best goal any company can conceive of. A company that implements this production procedure can expect fewer recalls, reworkings, and a steady flow of orders over time. More satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend your product to friends and family, resulting in more sales. Fewer problems in the factory also translates to fewer calls to customer service.
There is a trade-off in almost all facets of life as well as business. Making the right call can be the difference between staying in business and bankruptcy. Scaling back production to ensure quality is almost always the right call.
Production has and always will be important, but without a quality product that will last, what does it really matter? Would a company rather have ten finished products that are of poor quality, or five that are made right, that will make the customer happy and lead to loyalty and more future sales and good word of mouth advertizing? This is the fine line that confronts supervisors in manufacturing plants today, and there are trade-offs that must be discussed and solutions that must be implemented.
The best trade-off today to ensure a company's long-term survival in a global and dynamic marketplace is to ensure quality at all times, even at the expense of some production. A better product, that lasts and provides superior utility to the end user is the best goal any company can conceive of. A company that implements this production procedure can expect fewer recalls, reworkings, and a steady flow of orders over time. More satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend your product to friends and family, resulting in more sales. Fewer problems in the factory also translates to fewer calls to customer service.
There is a trade-off in almost all facets of life as well as business. Making the right call can be the difference between staying in business and bankruptcy. Scaling back production to ensure quality is almost always the right call.
