MANAGEMENT Quality School Small business men meet at Michigan State to learn about quality control laboratories A P I L O T R U N w a s m a d e at Michigan State University last month. But no tangible raw materials were used and no chemical reaction occurred; the only p r o d u c t s were ideas. T h e pilot run was an experiment in education designed to answer questions of small manufacturers interested in establishing chemical quality control laboratories. Members of t h e Michigan State faculty con ducted a conference in cooperation with the Scientific Apparatus Makers Association. It was aimed at top management of companies capitalized at $500,000 or less. Enrollment was intentionally kept small. SAMA describees t h e meeting as a trial effort to test t h e merits of this t y p e of presentation.. T h e how-tio-do-it format of the twoday sch ool w a s g e a r e d to fit the n e e d s of small companies. "Students" found p r a c t i c a l answers to such questions as: • W h at a r e the advantages of quality control?* • H o w much will it cost? • W h a t k i n d of personnel and equipment a r e n e e d e d ? • H o w extensive should it b e ? Speakers represented the fields of science, commerce, engineering, and psychology. Persons attending included executives from companies contemplating laboratories a n d from those with l a b s bmt looking for n e w ideas. W a s the conference a success? T h e best w a y to judge this is, of course, from t h e opinions of t h e participants. And these were all good. SAMA, too, is enthusiastic about the results and hopes t h a t similar affairs can b e arranged in the future. By t b e time t h e conference ended, t h o s e attending h a d received information o n all facets of operating a small control laboratory. • T h e Personnel Factor. Primary e m p h a s i s w a s placed on obtaining the proper type of chemist to be in charge. H e shcMild have some previous industrial experience, although not necessarily in tlie s a m e field. Most important of all, fie m u s t have an a d a p t a b l e personality. T r i e control chemist in a small organization works closely with everyone from president to shipping clerk; he
must be able to command their respect and cooperation. Psychology plays an important role in beginning a quality control laboratory. Starting a l a b in a small company causes a big change for all personnel. M a n y m a y have fears of being checked u p on b y a laboratory or may think that some of the importance of their own job will be taken away. Through careful preparation, personnel should be m a d e to feel that they are part of the change, and that the new addition will be working for them and with them—not against them. • Better Tile. And results from quality control programs show u p quickly a n d dramatically. Morris Brecher of Sears Roebuck demonstrated this at t h e Michigan State conference with a case history. Sears experienced occasional epidemics of poor quality in the wall tile supplied by a particular manufacturer. Customer complaints required costly reinstallation of tile. Sears worked with the manufacturer to start a quality control program aimed at t h e faulty tile. The effort brought about more efficient use of production facilities, and these direct results: • Customer complaints were eliminated. • Production costs were cut I0r/
