Design engineers-take note!

摘要

I was intrigued to see my 1957 article on statistical engineering design included in the recommendations for further reading in the lead article of August's QW ('designer statistics'). Looking back at my industrial career I am convinced that during the second half of the last century the neglect of statistical methods by engineers and the neglect of quality management by industry were together profoundly damaging to the national economy I grew tired of watching Statistically incompetent design engineers trying to enforce quality by writing tight tolerances into manufacturing specifications without regard to process capability and then criticising lesser mortals on the shop floor for not coping with the insurmountable problems they had created. Every day on our roads and in the high street shops we can see the fruits of Japan's post war economic recovery which was supported by the export of high quality products at affordable prices. The key to that success was a unique industrial strategy embracing good technology, good management and practical applications of statistical method. The credit was due to the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers. The whole of science and technology under one hat!