Why Japanese are ahead?

Bev D

Heretical Statistician
Staff member
Super Moderator
#11
Based on my experiences working for and with Japanes companies, *I* have expereinced the following

1. Not all japanese companies are the same and they have variable quality outputs just like the rest of us.

2. They have a highly regimented society that takes direction really well.

3. There IS politics - it just looks different as their cultural behavioral norms are different from western society. All of the negotiation occurs outside the conference room where all is polite and 'seemingly politics free'.

4. The companies with solid quality and reliable products typically make changes to processes and products very slowly. Honda and Toyota for example.

5. In the automotive world, the japanese companies often had as many field problems as other US made vehicles - but they did more 'hidden recalls' fixing teh problem when you brought your car in for an oil change...

6. They too torture their suppliers with with process validation equipment selection etc. It just looks different. you can't get low variation without discipline to process. That slow change is long validation.

6. Some companies use SPC, DOE etc. ('six sigma') others don't. I've seen some Japanese R&D organizations run 1000 one factor random experiments and I've seen others run tightly designed efficient experiments - just like western companies.

A GREAT book on this topic is "The Myths About Japanese Quality" by Eberts Eberts.
 
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Steve Prevette

Deming Disciple
Staff member
Super Moderator
#12
I agree that we should verify "are the Japanese ahead?", by what operational definition.

I would say that the Japanese do INDEED believe in the use of SPC, that is a holdover from Dr. Deming's work with them. I do know from a safety engineer that the Honda plant in Marysville OH makes heavy use of SPC on the production line.

Six sigma is NOT compatible with several areas of Dr. Deming's work and I don't believe is very compatible with Japan. My opinion of course (and you may find other of my opinions about SS here on the Cove).
 

Randy

Super Moderator
#13
I'm trying figure out ahead in what? Where the Japanese are today is directly related to the assistance provided them after WW2 by the USA.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
#16
What do you mean by assistance?
The US under direction of Gen Douglas MacArthur and the US State Department helped to rebuild Japanese industry, business and banking by bringing in highly skill professions like W Edwards Deming to tutor them in US business practices. We helped rebuild Japanese industry (and changed their political process at the same time) because we needed a strong trading partner and Democracy in the Western Pacific to help offset the rising Soviet and Communist Chinese threat in that part of the globe....Read your history books

Because of the Japanese embracing P-D-C-A-CI and other factors and our not doing so they started capturing a vast majority of traditional US industry...It went overseas and is still doing so.
 
S

Sorin

#17
The US under direction of Gen Douglas MacArthur and the US State Department helped to rebuild Japanese industry, business and banking by bringing in highly skill professions like W Edwards Deming to tutor them in US business practices. We helped rebuild Japanese industry (and changed their political process at the same time) because we needed a strong trading partner and Democracy in the Western Pacific to help offset the rising Soviet and Communist Chinese threat in that part of the globe....Read your history books

Because of the Japanese embracing P-D-C-A-CI and other factors and our not doing so they started capturing a vast majority of traditional US industry...It went overseas and is still doing so.
No need to point the history books...I just wanted to know which assistance you are talking about....financial and know how...

Both of them are quite irrelevant, or should I say that they have little to do with where the Japan is today...it was just a starting point...after all many countries were at that time in an advanced industrial position, compared to Japan, and today they are lagging behind them...
 

Randy

Super Moderator
#18
No need to point the history books...I just wanted to know which assistance you are talking about....financial and know how...

Both of them are quite irrelevant, or should I say that they have little to do with where the Japan is today...it was just a starting point...after all many countries were at that time in an advanced industrial position, compared to Japan, and today they are lagging behind them...
You're absolutely incorrect, had we not been the biggest trading partner with Japan they would not have grown at the rate they did. Couple that with, yes, monetary and educational assistance and their culture as a people it became a win for them.

We learn from history, not from guessing
 
M

MIREGMGR

#19
In my field of focus--medical devices--Japanese companies are in some respects even with US companies, in other respects behind. In no respect that currently comes to mind, except possibly CT imaging, are they ahead.
 

Bev D

Heretical Statistician
Staff member
Super Moderator
#20
Well, starting points do matter. starting out in the correct direction is far faster, easier and cheaper than trying to undo years of habit and buy new capital equipment. However, this path gets us no where except to an assignation of blame.

And there are many contrary opinions as to the position of Japan 'over' the US and China 'over' Japan. (a succinct article cocnerning this was written by Jonah Goldberg entitled "China Wealthy? That’s Rich!"). I think we start by clearly defining exactly what Japan - or China - or anyone is doign that is better than the US - or anyone. otherwise we are reacting simply with national pride and/or urban myths. We cannot pinpoint an effective path forward without this.
 
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