A few decades ago, I participated in a continuous quality improvement training class, an in-depth study of the statistical control principles promoted by W. Edwards Deming. One of the many lessons I learned in these training sessions was the definition of “quality.” Our instructor, Bob Gelina, said this one word can be defined in just two words: low variation. 

In the world of process improvement, this is certainly true. The more we can do to avoid the spikes of change, the more consistent and predictable our output will be. Makes sense.

On the consumer end, quality may have a different definition, and it varies by each person’s expectation. 

My first luggage was an inexpensive set that was quickly trashed after a few visits to the airport. When Jolene and I were married, we received a high-end set as a gift. It was also quickly trashed after a few visits to the airport. As a result, I now only buy inexpensive sets of luggage and plan on replacing them as needed. Quality doesn’t seem to matter much with luggage, at least in my air travel experiences.

Shoes are another story. A few decades ago, I worked with Jeff Watts, the owner of a Des Moines clothing store called Bond’s of Beaverdale. As a young man in the business world, I needed to dress more professionally, and Jeff was a great help with suits, shirts and ties, which were standard wear of the time. The store also had a selection of high-end dress shoes that I wasn’t ready to step up to, despite Jeff’s encouragement. As my income increased, and Jeff’s sales pitch continued, I finally decided to ante up and buy a pair of shoes that cost three times as much as I had ever spent prior. “It’s an investment you won’t regret,” Jeff told me. And he was right. I had those shoes re-soled twice, and they lasted for more than a decade. I eventually tossed them only after a piece of sharp metal cut through the top of one. Quality, in this case, did prove to matter. 

Our throw-away society is troublesome, and I am certainly part of the problem. In our efforts to pay the least amount we can, we often settle for lower quality. Sometimes that makes sense, but more often it results in rapidly expanding landfills full of broken stuff. 

Unfortunately, the mass production of these throw-away items has become standard. The variation is low, and the outcome is predictable. With that in mind, the process may be quality, but the products created typically are not. We live and learn, hopefully. Meanwhile, this dilemma may be defined best in six words: You get what you pay for. 

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707