The “Way-we’ve always-done-it” Impact

Does the expression, "We've always done it that way" ring any bells? The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That is an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that is the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads.

Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that is the gauge they used.
Why did "they" use that gauge then?

Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing. Okay!

Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads?

Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. Their roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads?

Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.

The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. And bureaucracies live forever!

So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder who came up with it, think about the Imperial Roman war chariots that were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses.

Now the twist to the story.

There is an interesting extension to the story about railroad gauges and horses. When we see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. Thiokol makes the SRBs at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horses. So, a major space shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of two horses.

And now you see that “the way we’ve always done it” can have unimaginable impact on the future.

What is Quality?

It is more than a word, slogan or ideal. It is not bigger, faster, brighter, longer or most expensive. Each of us demands it in everything -- but it varies from activity to activity. It is not a byword or the flavor of the month. It can have a complicated definition, but that is not necessary.

EXAMPLES

• When you purchase clothes, there are certain expectations. These cover color, size, shape, material, etc. Also, there is a cost factor which combines with the expectations to be called value. You are looking for value for your investment.
• In a restaurant, you order food by type, size, side dishes, etc. You have requirements, which must be met for your satisfaction.
• When you visit a doctor, you have expectations for the visit. Short waiting time, courteous treatment, accurate records, clear diagnosis, and quick response to requests. Your satisfaction is determined by how well these requirements are met and the money invested.
All customers are the same. They have requirements, goals and expectations that need to be met, The bottom line is value added service that brings back repeat business. The needs, expectations, and requirements must be understood for the customer to be satisfied with the product or service.

DEFINITION OF QUALITY

QUALITY IS MUTUALLY DEFINING AND MEETING THE CUSTOMER'S REQUIREMENTS

Quality is what the customer says it is.