David C. Crosby, quality guru, Zero Defect proponent, and Quality Digest Daily contributor, died this past Monday. He was 80 years old.

Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services diesel engines and related technology around the world. It serves its customers through a network of 500 distributors and more than 5,200 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories.

You know what the third-quarter review meeting means: a packet will be handed out  with bar graphs and, no doubt, trend lines on each of about a zillion “key performance indicators” that show:

Publisher's note: It is with great sadness that I must report that David Crosby passed away on Monday, November 15.

Publisher's note: It is with great sadness that I must report that David Crosby passed away on Monday, November 15.

Buying a car used to be a relatively easy process. But now that the government and various consumer protection organizations have become involved in the transaction, it has become mind-numbing.

Telephone communication is thought of as the greatest technological advancement of the 20th century. It can certainly be credited with nearly every facet of progress that commerce has ever enjoyed. What’s not to like?

Jeffrey G. Stark is president of Sensor Products Inc.

(ALG Inc: Santa Barbara, CA) -- Perception is a powerful force in consumer-buying behavior. Consumers often base beliefs about quality on the emotional connection they have made with a brand, regardless of the actual quality associated with its products.

Just imagine for a moment that you are a major league baseball player in 1990. If you wish, you can even choose your name and position. Perhaps you would like to be a pitcher, let’s say, Dodger Lemens, or a hitter, perhaps Marcus McWired or Al Roidriguez.