Greg, I couldn't agree more. I didn't take the initiative to comment on it though. Thank you for bringing it up. The emperor has no clothes.
Bill

I couldn't agree more. Looks like a publicity show not a quality show. There are quality experts around. None have the brand name of a Deming (who I am sure is turning over in his grave) or Juran. I'm sure Toyota could have found a few, but.....you have the picture correct.

Toyota does not need any quality expert(s). They have plenty! What they needed is good public policy advisers and that's what they have selected. Toyota does not have quality problems, they have management problems!

What is the operational definition of a quality expert?

Gee, what should we do? The problem as I see it is this – the world doesn’t think they need us. Or better yet – we are afraid for our future livelihood that they do not need us. Sounds like the “quality profession” has a customer sat problem. Maybe the “quality profession’s” product hasn’t been good enough to ensure continued growth. When I read some of the articles I sometimes wonder if there is an inflated sense of self-importance on the part of quality professionals. We seem to think the rest of the world needs us more than they think they need us. Some would argue they are wrong – they really do need us and if we could just convince them of that then we could help them. But I’m not so sure. And apparently neither is an important part of the market. Time for a long look in the mirror?

Archie the Gopher - - Serving Education Delivering Quality - - - - - The list of "experts" are persons currently at high positions, or previously at high positions, in organizations with confirmation of "doing it well." There are many problems with the Toyota situation. First, what is an expert? There are many jokes about what an "expert" really is. Second, the successes of Toyota may relate to poor judgements of customers. We quality leaders have a task and that is to help our friends and neighbors understand what QUALITY really is, how we measure quality, and why quality is important to our successes as individuals and as a member of a community. Toyota has experts on staff. We the people need to demand, based on our pocket book decisions, delivery of quality. We need to "accept" or "reject" products based on quality. We need to know more than PR reports and "reports" offered in purchased ads. Buy quality. Avoid that other stuff! I close with avoidance of issues related to "government demanding quality" as we the consumers are served. Government is another set of issues. Do we need another Tea Party like group on quality?

Greg - Like Bill Scherkenbach, I too did not comment on the panel selection. I thought that it would be futile. I thought that the list of names was indicative of what happened to Toyota. It looks like business school methods to cover a catastrophe. Then I thought of Dr. Deming's statement on business schools, "They are teaching all the wrong things and doing it very well."

I am glad you raised the issue. I wondered who did the selecting? Does anyone know?

Bill Latzko

Toyota is trying to avoid the Ford Pinto PR fiasco. Ford was technically correct, but missed the point about customer satisfaction. Toyota is obviously working feverishly to say and do the right things to keep customers. It has little to do with the Quality system that broke down, but rather it's about "saving face".