With all the emphasis today on quality, and studies showing that quality is very important to the leaders of American business, why are so many organizations struggling to achieve and sustain quality systems? The answer is that managers have been inundated for 20 years with a parade of quality initiatives that have promised miraculous results in reducing costs and increasing profits. Consultants have peddled the promise of quality circles, self-directed teams, ISO 9001, theory of constraints (TOC), lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma to the point of near hysteria.

Each new system promises greater rewards. All of these systems have succeeded somewhere. Most have failed and died from neglect. My contention is that many managers do not have the time, knowledge, or resources for in-depth analysis of methods for process improvements. Competition has increased while pricing pressures from low cost countries have decreased profit margins. These lower profits make it extremely important that any money spent be able to show a return on the investment. A wrong decision on where to invest capital can be fatal to a company’s long-term health.

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