Who Is Responsible for Quality

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Rob Markoff

Rob Markoff

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Posts
5,183
Loc
San Diego, CA USA
Maybe this should be in warped - we were at a San Diego Chapter PPFA Meeting tonight touring a digital reprographics firm. This was on their wall:

Who Is Responsible For Quality?

This is a story about four people named;
EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY AND NOBODY.

QUALITY was an important job to be done and EVERYBODY was sure that SOMEBODY would do it.

ANYBODY could have done it, but NOBODY did it.

SOMEBODY got angry about that because it was EVERYBODY'S job.

EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY could do it, but NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY wouldn't do it.

It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when NOBODY did what ANYBODY could have done.
 
I don't think there is anything warped about this.The truth is that all the talk of quality and commitment to the processes that get us there are vunerable to the ignorance or neglect of any one person. So even if everyone trys to get it right anybody can goof and the one who gets screwed is quality. Whether I make the mistake or my staff we fix it because the one person we don't want to get screwed is the customer. We do fine custom framing by excellent craftspeople who sometimes make mistakes. Blame is not a game that helps very much, it is much better to find solutions, that is why carpenters carry so many tools to just hang a door.
 
Rob, I have always loved that verse. The reason being ,the first time I heard it was when I worked at GM in one of their warehouses. There were people who picked parts, people who cheeked and packed them and then finally some one who checked them on to a truck for shipment. The discussion was raised as to whose FAULT it was if a part/cartoon was shipped in error. One co-worker vehemently exclaimed that is was the fault of the LAST person who handled it since he could have stopped the error from leaving the building. My point was it was the FAULT of everyone who handled it since at any point in the chain it could have been stopped and corrected and if nothing was done then everyone who allowed the error to proceed shared equally in the blame.
In fact sometimes complacency is even worse then mistakes. Knowing what needs to be done and just not caring is ,in my book, worse than trying your best and just slipping. Everyone is capable of making an error but no one should not care to do their best.
Charles BUDDY Drago CPF®
DBA Needles and Knots
Chalmette,La.

[ 09-19-2003, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: BUDDY ]
 
Darn, I couldn't use this little credo even if I wanted to since I work alone. the only way to make it effective would be to develop multiple personalities.............

I bet Less could put it into effect.
 
This sheds light on the relationship between ability and attitude.

A great attitude can make up for lack of ability.

A poor attitude can make one very unable.
 
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