Editor's note: This is part two of a series about customer-centric quality management systems. Read part one here.

Bob’s Machine Shop has been satisfying customers with good parts delivered on time for more than 20 years. Bob has satisfying customers down pat—it doesn’t happen day in and day out for decades by accident. He has a system for it.

Bob’s customers place orders for precision machined parts. Each order specifies the part required, often with use of a blueprint communicating product requirements and acceptance criteria. Customers expect Bob will supply parts made of the material called out by the blueprint while also meeting the nominal dimensional requirements for each specified feature. As Bob puts it, “They want parts that meet print.”

Parts meeting print isn’t the only expectation of the customer, however. Not only do Bob’s customers expect good parts; they also expect the parts to be delivered on time—as Bob promised when he accepted the order.

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