Paul W. Critchley

Lean teaches us the importance of delivering value to the customer and emphasizes that companies must recognize their quality deliverables don’t end after the sales transaction is complete. In Lean, we define value from the customer’s perspective.

I was recently retaught a lesson that, ironically, I teach for a living. The consulting firm I work in covers not only lean, but also consults and guides clients along with building and improving their quality management systems.

The cost of quality isn’t discussed much. More often, the cost of poor quality hogs the limelight and the headlines. Cost of poor quality costs are believed to be 100% avoidable, and thus are assigned resources to expend extra attention and efforts to eliminate. 

“Lean isn’t going to help you if your quality is bad. Why just make bad stuff faster?”