In our last edition we began a discussion on the critical importance of quality going back to as far as the ancient Greek society. We pointed out that often today buying decisions are based on a lack of proper knowledge and training.
Hence the old Bell System had intensive training programs and detailed specifications that resulted in a highly reliable telephone system. However today the knowledge level of many engineers, technicians and management in our industry is seriously insufficient.
Therefore isn’t it ironic that customers outside of the USA always seem to value American made products for their quality? As a result they often seek out these American made products in their purchasing efforts. Yet, unlike our foreign counterparts, far too many consumers in the U.S. look for the lowest cost versus seeking the value found in high quality.
What are the attributes of Quality?
- Performance
> Products or deployed networks should meet the specifications - Reliability
> High product failure rates result in significant downtime and operational costs. - Durability
> Will the product hold up in the environment which it is used - Serviceability
> Reputable firms have warranties
Why is Quality Important?
- Productivity
> Poor Quality results in breakdowns, network inefficiency or even work stoppages - Profitability
> Quality increases profitability - Reputation / Customer Loyalty / Customer Expectation & Satisfaction
> If poor choices are made it will affect your personal reputation
> Poor choices can result in poor products and/or services leaving your company reputation damaged and losing customer loyalty - Meeting Standards
> Do the products meet safety and defined industry standards - Costs
> Poor Quality increases costs particularly over the long-term
Furthermore the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently conducted a report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education entitled “Time for the U.S. to Reskill?.” The organization discovered that a whopping 36 million adults in the U.S. are considered low skilled workers; lacking basic skills in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. While these are considered the minimal skills necessary for meaningful employment in a high-tech global economy the reality is that in wired or wireless networking careers the true skill level needed is much, much higher.
Yet how to solve this problem and close this gap is debatable. First of all, at the very minimum the corporate world employing technical workers should offer internal seminars, courses or pay for outside training courses while creating mandated levels of skilled knowledge for their employees. In addition, bonuses or merit pay increases should be tied to those employees motivated to increase their knowledge level and whom make an attempt to provide excellence in Quality.
Look for future articles detailing specific examples related to the IT networking industry.
