Going Back to What Works: Quality and Productivity

Going Back to What Works: Productivity & Quality
By Michael O’Rourke


With the major changes in our country’s economy and that of the world in the last 12 months, and the corresponding drop in your 401K, you may wonder “What really happened?” We may never understand nor do we have the time to do so. The world economy and the Unites States economy are so intertwined that there were no doubt a multitude of factors that led us to where we are today – inflated home prices, greedy investors, poor lending policy, oil prices & supply, the sinking value of the dollar and on and on.

Some have said this is the worst economic time since the great depression. If that is even partially true, then what can we learn from history to get us out of this economic mess once again? As a nation, as a community and as an individual, the answer is the same:
Get back to the basics of Productivity and Quality. After the Great Depression and during World War II our country was called on to increase productivity and the military contracts required increased quality. Inspection standards were put in place for goods being produced. Bullets made in California had to be the same as bullets made in Minnesota and so on with every item purchased by the military so all parts and pieces worked together no matter where they were made. American workers responded and put in the effort and focus required to produce the goods and the arms to ‘save the world” from the Nazis.

After WWII , while the U.S. went back to business as usual, Japan welcomed W. Edwards Deming’s advice on not just inspecting the quality of the final output of their factories but on improving all organizational processes through the people involved. He introduced Quality as a culture. ‘Made in Japan’ went from being a statement on cheap trinkets to a stamp of quality on the world’s best electronics and automobiles. Japan became an economic powerhouse. The U.S. finally paid attention starting in the 1970’s and saw increased quality of goods, increased productivity and many years of economic prosperity.

Today we need to again focus ourselves and our companies on both productivity – getting more accomplished in the same amount of time, and quality – getting it done right the first time with less cost and more value. Employees who are not being truly productive and doing quality work have been cut or will be cut if the economy gets worse. The best employees are retained and will be expected to work smarter to provide goods and services so the business can stay in business.

As a member of the American Society for Quality I am able to learn and stay sharp on areas of quality in Healthcare, Government, Education, Service and Manufacturing. Their website www.ASQ.org is a great free resource for non-members and members alike. One can learn about Leadership, Change Management, Teams, and Employee Empowerment and Involvement.

Now is a great time to create a safety net around ourselves and our families by protecting our own position in the workforce. We must be the best at what we do. A solid commitment to being more productive with an eye on the quality of our own work is where we must start. After seeing our own improvements we can share these concepts of productivity and quality with our colleagues and those whom we manage.

Michael O’Rourke is an independent Healthcare IT Analyst with his company Secure Business Group Inc. Mr. O’Rourke is also a member of the Association of Productivity Specialists and the American Society for Quality.
He can be reached via email at: Michael-ORourke@comcast.net.