http://stylemaxim.com/blog/2009/01/are-our-quality-standards-too-high/ StyleMaxim: Virtual Stylists and Wardrobe Consultants Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:38:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://stylemaxim.com/blog/2009/01/are-our-quality-standards-too-high/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Al Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:26:32 +0000 http://stylemaxim.com/blog/?p=498#comment-28 I couldn't agree more! The "Lean" process focuses on economy, not necessarily on outstanding quality. Replacing very skilled workers with cheaper, more available labor (diversified and replaceable) almost guarantees lower quality (also higher volume at cheaper price hence higher margins). The cell workers share responsibility for the output, therefore they are bound to be less critical of their team, to avoid losing their daily quotas. While a skilled worker is highly critical of his own work (acting as a de facto QC inspector), the multi-tasking cell members might not even know the difference between quality work and the other kinds...just because they spent time learning only general skills. In other words, when everybody knows "everything", nobody knows (much of)anything! Our own quality standards are as low or as high as our level of competence. Besides, when the responsibility is shared with other members of the team, each member carries less of it on their own shoulders. It becomes a lot harder to dissipate criticism when you are the only one responsible for your output. You become your toughest critic, if only to avoid public humiliation. I couldn’t agree more! The “Lean” process focuses on economy, not necessarily on outstanding quality. Replacing very skilled workers with cheaper, more available labor (diversified and replaceable) almost guarantees lower quality (also higher volume at cheaper price hence higher margins). The cell workers share responsibility for the output, therefore they are bound to be less critical of their team, to avoid losing their daily quotas. While a skilled worker is highly critical of his own work (acting as a de facto QC inspector), the multi-tasking cell members might not even know the difference between quality work and the other kinds…just because they spent time learning only general skills. In other words, when everybody knows “everything”, nobody knows (much of)anything! Our own quality standards are as low or as high as our level of competence. Besides, when the responsibility is shared with other members of the team, each member carries less of it on their own shoulders. It becomes a lot harder to dissipate criticism when you are the only one responsible for your output. You become your toughest critic, if only to avoid public humiliation.

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