Introduction This paper presents a discussion of the management of quality control, as described and explained in Production/Oper ations Management: Concepts, Structure, & Analysis (Tersine, 1985). The accent on quality was lost in American industry in the post World War II era, when the country's firms could sell almost anything that they made, and at a time when the quality level of foreign made products was of no great worry. To be sure, there were advocates of quality control in the United States during that time period, such as Edwards Deming; how ever, American industrialists were in no mood to listen to them. Unfortunately for American industry, someone else did listen to Deming the Japanese. The superior quality control procedures of modern Japanese industry were originally devel oped, in large part, under the guidance and tutelage of Edwards Deming. Further, the statistical and mathematical element of Deming's procedures, and, in turn, those of Japanese industry, were based on the work of another American quality control expert, Walter Shewhart. Thus, in one sense, American industry had been its own worst enemy. It allowed a superior quality control system developed in its own backyard to be used by its competitors to capture many markets away from it.
Increased Competitiveness Through Improved Quality
American competitiveness suffers in comparison to that of several other countries. A major part of the problem is pro duct quality. Primarily, products from Japan and several other countries are perceived to be of higher quality for the same, or lower, cost as American products. Importantly, this percep tion is shared by consumers in both the United States and in other countries.
The relatively few American manufacturers which have sought real quality improvement have travelled an unconven tional route. Their investment decisions have been based on keeping old customers and winning new customers, as...