I worked in the quality assurance department of an auto parts manufacture from 1978 - 1993. This is how I came to hear of W. Edwards Deming, one of the leading figures in the implementation of statistical process control. He went to Japan after WW II and played a major part in the transformation of … Continue reading W. Edwards Deming
quality assurance
Quality assurance and child training
I spent fifteen years working in the quality assurance department of an auto parts factory and have a certificate showing that 30 years ago I was certified as a quality engineer. There are a few simple lessons I learned during that time that I believe apply as much to little people in the home as … Continue reading Quality assurance and child training
Bean counters
People like myself (bookkeepers & accountants) are sometimes referred to as bean counters. The none-too-complimentary implication is that we spend hours at our desks sorting beans into little piles with no idea of what those beans represent. It isn't necessarily so. I used to work in the quality assurance department of a factory that made … Continue reading Bean counters
What am I looking for?
I appear to have a talent for spotting faults. I worked as a grain buyer for a number of years, which involved scrutinizing a sample of grain to detect foreign matter and any type of damage to the kernels. Later, I worked as a quality assurance inspector in an auto parts plant. The job was … Continue reading What am I looking for?
The right and wrong use of statistics
[This is an article I wrote a year ago for The Business Bulletin.] A few weeks ago I went into a small town branch of the Royal Bank of Canada with a cheque received for some translation work. The cheque was in US dollars and I asked the teller to convert it to Canadian dollars, … Continue reading The right and wrong use of statistics
We are not machines
A week ago I went into a small town branch of the Royal Bank of Canada with a $500.00 cheque I had received for some translation work. The cheque was in US dollars and I asked the teller to give me $80.00 in Canadian cash, $20.00 in US cash and deposit the rest in my … Continue reading We are not machines
Getting the point across
My wife and I were getting ready to go to Saskatoon, an hour’s drive from our home. I thought we needed to leave by 9:30 to accomplish all we wanted to do. I busied myself getting ready, preparing the things I needed to take to the places I needed to go. My wife was busy … Continue reading Getting the point across
Flatlander Faith 