Why it should be the most important thing given the current political atmosphere.
It’s something you hear all the time now: “They don’t make them like they used to be anymore” or “Another product made outside of the United States.” In fact, to some extent, there is a ring of truth to these sentiments; Unfortunately, many areas of the trade, particularly the aforementioned electronics sector, are outsourced to countries like China on a widespread basis, so much so that many consumers feel that value has paid the ultimate price. Case in point: The home audio enthusiast market has experienced a turntable resurgence over the last decade, fueled by a millennial demographic that was just getting their feet wet in the “vinyl revival” crowd, but in the crazy Struggle to compete and produce these turntables as fast as they were being purchased, many major companies outsourced their specifications to Asia-based entities who ended up cutting corners to meet a asking price.
As a result, more than a few turntables from this particular brand have suffered from poor construction, unreliable drive motors, design issues like warped platters, and more, all of which compromise the performance of a vinyl playback system in critical ways.
Of course, this is just one broad and random example, but our point is that quality in manufacturing and service, especially in our current somewhat heated political atmosphere, should come first and foremost, a sentiment that has not gone away. unnoticed by President Donald J. Trump, who has given US manufacturing representatives a different point of view to consider when it comes to consumer-made products.
In short, President Trump wants American manufacturing to step up, and it starts and ends with “the Q word.”
Why should this come first and foremost when taken in a manufacturing context? It’s easy to falter in an upbeat market and revel in manufacturing optimism; to be frank, it is the only sustainable pillar that drives excellence in business. Value in a company that makes goods not only helps the economy meet customer and industry expectations, but it can also keep costs down. Managing excellence is crucial for small businesses in particular, because well-built products help maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty while reducing the risk and cost of replacing defective products.
Let’s take a quick look at the main elements of this theme:
• Meeting customer expectations: Customers expect a company to deliver great products, and when it doesn’t, they quickly look for alternatives. Distinction is essential to satisfy customers and retain their loyalty so that they continue to buy in the future.
• Managing a reputation: Excellence influences a company’s reputation, as poor construction or product failure (such as the record player example mentioned above) can generate negative publicity and damage reputation.
• Comply with industry standards: Accreditation to a recognized standard may be essential for dealing with certain clients or complying with legislation.
• Cost Management – Poor characteristics increase costs, as we mentioned, because without an effective control system, a company may incur the cost of analyzing nonconforming goods or services to determine root causes.
For manufacturing companies, it’s important to increase process training, management commitment, and involvement across all teams when improving purity control, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a look at suppliers as well. Research, study and evaluation alone will improve this area, and premium quality parts and products will equalize sales in the long run, all while eliminating consumer mistrust in manufacturing.
President Trump has put us on the right track… now we all need to do our part to improve manufacturing in America.