In article <1992Dec29.040409.1@acad3.alaska.edu>, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu writes:
|> Japan is just doing what we once tried to.. Japans modern economy is based on
|> the thoughts and theories of a American (US).. Not sure of his name at the
|> moment, which is interesting since the same man was/has been ignored in this
|> country..
|>
|> Michael Adams alias Ghost Wheel/Morgoth NSMCA@acad3.alaska.edu
The individual's name is Edward Deming (still alive .. but barely). The Japanese have an award which goes by his name. The Malcolm Baldridge Award is the U.S. Govt's equivalent to the Deming Award.
Ironically, he began in the post WW-II Detroit auto industry purveying such wild ideas as built-in, first-time quality, efficiency and statistical quality assurance rather than the subjective practices employed by the industry's "quality inspectors". The big-wigs simply discounted his advice due to the euphoria of a boom economy which had NO competitors at the time. The Japanese had such a complete lack of raw materials and manufacturing capability that Deming's ideas of first-time quality helped them
to build the manufacturing capability which they have today. A great deal of the Japanese standard of living and ability is attributable to the ideas of one man as reflected in the existence of the Deming Award in Japan.
