US Auto Makers Loosing The Race

[Bill Ryan]

Here's a little ditty from the March Quality Digest written by James Harrington. Once again, I don't know if it's accessible if you are not a subscriber, so if most of you can't view this, please let me know and I'll quit posting the links.

http://www.qualitydigest.com/current...rrington.shtml

Discussion????

Bill

[Howard Atkins]

Just to tell you that it is visible to all. Keep on posting
The discussion later!

[Craig H.]

Ok, I am not from the automotive industry, but have been a "car guy" for as long as I can remember, and am a sometime drag racer and autocrosser.

Where are the disconnects? It seems to me, from this forum, that the big 3 (particularly Ford?) are difficult to work with. Is it possible that the system is built around satisfying itself, instead of the customers?

As far as quality of design goes, the number of highly-focused choices offered the consumer today are mind-boggling, and some of the choices even are good at more than one thing (witness the SUV/Pickup, for example).

But, the article Bill gave us cites the number of defects per car. Even Lexus has more than 1. I wonder how the defects/car correlates with overall satisfaction? And, how often are these defects related to design, and how often are they related to the odd badly-formed part or missed assembly step?

Auto folks, I really am interested in your opinions on this...

Craig

[Sam]

This article compares to the same articles published in the 80's at the on-set of TQM. It is scary to think that with all the emphasis we place on standards and specifications related to quality that, in the past 25 years we have not improved; either in the the market place or in the quality of product.
With TS2,we have only just begun, but stick around, there is another blip on the screen.

[Rachel]

Originally Posted by Sam

This article compares to the same articles published in the 80's at the on-set of TQM. It is scary to think that with all the emphasis we place on standards and specifications related to quality that, in the past 25 years we have not improved; either in the the market place or in the quality of product.

(I'm not in automotive either...but have been in the past.)

I had a conversation with my boyfriend not too long ago about this - I was trying to explain to him exactly what QS was all about and where it came from. (He's in urban planning, and so doesn't get much exposure to ISO stuff.) Anyway, it came up b/c he's currently car-shopping...and had crossed domestic cars off the list (as in, he didn't even look at any).

It really *is* scary to think of the efforts that North America puts into quality, with all of the standards and specs...yet despite all that, he'll *still* be driving his new Honda off the lot this afternoon. What are we doing wrong?

[Al Rosen]

Originally Posted by Rachel

(I'm not in automotive either...but have been in the past.)

I had a conversation with my boyfriend not too long ago about this - I was trying to explain to him exactly what QS was all about and where it came from. (He's in urban planning, and so doesn't get much exposure to ISO stuff.) Anyway, it came up b/c he's currently car-shopping...and had crossed domestic cars off the list (as in, he didn't even look at any).

It really *is* scary to think of the efforts that North America puts into quality, with all of the standards and specs...yet despite all that, he'll *still* be driving his new Honda off the lot this afternoon. What are we doing wrong?

Rachel, your boyfriend may be surprised to find out that his Honda was made in the US. I don't know if they make them in Canada. I once bought an Olds made in Canada.

[Rachel]

Originally Posted by Al Rosen

Rachel, your boyfriend may be surprised to find out that his Honda was made in the US. I don't know if they make them in Canada. I once bought an Olds made in Canada.

Are they not designed overseas, though? I know there's an assembly plant in Alliston (north of Toronto) but the designs originate from overseas, do they not?

In any event - even though they are assembled in Canada - why the discrepancies in ratings?

[Sidney Vianna]

Originally Posted by Sam

This article compares to the same articles published in the 80's at the on-set of TQM. It is scary to think that with all the emphasis we place on standards and specifications related to quality that, in the past 25 years we have not improved; either in the the market place or in the quality of product.
With TS2,we have only just begun, but stick around, there is another blip on the screen.

Sam, I beg to differ. I believe that the American Automotive Industry is much better now, than it was 20 years ago. However, quality is a moving target as we all know. The Japanese Automotive Industry, especially, due to cultural issues drive continual improvement FASTER than others.

Check http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/tps/tps.html