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GOOD Vibrations
Foo, Luke T. Quality Progress41. 2 (Feb 2008): 25-30.

Resumen (reseña)
Modern quality management principles define quality as customer satisfaction with product and service. Quality also depends on the people, processes and environment that create the product and service. It seems that the Santa Cruz Guitar Co has hit its mark by instilling practices that address all theseelements. With musical instruments, sound is the primary measure of quality. Another measure is the degree of customer satisfaction with the product and service provided by the manufacturer. SCGC is considered a small-scale manufacturing operation, producing fewer than 800 instruments a year. The shop floor is divided into six workstations at which the guitars are progressively assembled as theymove from station to station. Experienced luthiers, who are empowered to make their own quality decisions, staff each station. The guitar does not move to the next station until the luthier and another more senior luthier are satisfied with the quality of the work.
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Headnote
Ingrained quality practices mirror Deming's 14 points
MODERN QUALITY management principles definequality as customer satisfaction with product and service. Quality also depends on the people, processes and environment that create the product and service.1
It seems that the Santa Cruz Guitar Co. (SCGC) has hit its mark by instilling practices that address all these elements. With musical instruments, sound is the primary measure of quality. Another measure is the degree of customer satisfactionwith the product and service provided by the manufacturer. In the world of acoustic guitars, many well-known brands stand for quality.
As both a quality professional for a biopharmaceutical company and a lover of acoustic guitars, I wanted to write an article that would combine my work and hobby-my two life passions. This article explores how modern day quality principles were being applied to acenturies old craft at one northern California company known for quality.2
When I first approached Richard Hoover, the founder and proprietor of the SCGC, about writing an article for Quality Progress, my first question was, "Do you have a quality department that monitors production quality?" His reply was no.
I then asked, "You must be following the principles of total quality management (TQM),correct?" Hoover replied, "What is TQM?" He did not know what it was and had no formal training on the subject.
As we talked further and I learned of his management style, I informed him he was, in fact, intuitively putting into practice TQM and many of W Edwards Deming's 14 points of management3 (see the sidebar "Deming's 14 Points," p. 29) without even being aware of the principles.
Hoovergranted me access to his shop, offering me a glimpse into the world of making guitars by hand.
Employee empowerment
SCGC is considered a small-scale manufacturing operation, producing fewer than 800 instruments a year. Although modern computer numerical controlled (CNC) equipment is used to manufacture minor parts of the guitar, the secret of SCGCs success lies in the small staff of 14 craftsmen,known as luthiers, who apply care and attention to detail while hand-crafting the major components of each instrument.
DEMING POINTS 8,11 AND 12
The shop floor is divided into six workstations at which the guitars are progressively assembled as they move from station to station. Experienced luthiers, who are empowered to make their own quality decisions, staff each station. The guitar does notmove to the next station until the luthier and another more senior luthier are satisfied with the quality of the work.
DEMING POINT 3
This is equivalent to the relationship between production line workers and supervisors at progressive manufacturing companies, where everyone is involved in ensuring product quality. The manufacturing department inspects what it produces.
DEMING POINT 9
"The...