This article was downloaded by: [Northeastern University]

On: 30 October 2014, At: 09:47

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,
37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Quality Engineering
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lqen20

ENGINEERING FOR LOW PRODUCT COST AND HIGH

PRODUCT QUALITY AT THE WESTERN ELECTRIC
COMPANY
a
A. C. Jones
a
Hawthorne Works Western Electric Company, Inc.
Published online: 30 Mar 2007.

To cite this article: A. C. Jones (1998) ENGINEERING FOR LOW PRODUCT COST AND HIGH PRODUCT QUALITY AT THE WESTERN
ELECTRIC COMPANY , Quality Engineering, 10:4, 729-737, DOI: 10.1080/08982119808919195

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08982119808919195

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained
in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no
representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the
Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and
are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and
should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for
any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever
or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of
the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic
reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any
form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://
www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
 Quality Engineering, 10(4), 72%737 (1998)
ENGINEERING FOR LOW PRODUCT COST AND HIGH
PRODUCT QUALITY AT THE WESTERN ELECTRIC
COMPANY*
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014
A. C. Jones
Hawthorne Works
Western Electric Company, Inc.
Product quality and its control has long been of para-
mount importance in the policies and operations of the
Western Electric Company, as it has been in many other
companies. There is every evidence to support the view that
product quality is assuming more and more importance
throughout all industry. You have but to scan the pages of
our trade journals, magazines, television screens, and other
sources of advertising to observe that product quality is
rapidly becoming the key note of our national advertising.
The very rapid growth and fine work of the American So-
ciety for Quality Control since its formation, less than six
years ago, is further recognition of the growing importance
of product quality and its control.
As it has grown in importance, it has likewise grown in
scope, and I think it might be well to examine briefly the
broader concept of quality as it is viewed today. I recently
learned of a letter which an author of an article on quality
and its control received from a plant manager in the Orient,
expressing deep appreciation for the help he had received
from the article. He went on to say in effect that "I have
been very successful in applying the procedures for I have
already been able to cut my inspectors in two". While this
may be viewed as a very worthwhile result by those work-
ers who at times have felt that they were at the mercy of a
critical inspector, it is, of course, a misstatement of any of
'Presented before a luncheon session of the Sixth Midwest Quality Control Conference at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 1951.
729
the attributes of quality or the purposes of its control. There
still exists the view in some quarters that the quality of a
product is solely determined by the extent to which it con-
forms to specification requirements. This criterion of qual-
ity likewise falls far short of what should be expected in a
high quality product. The customer is entitled to expect
much more than this, for to him it is more important that the
product afford serviceability, durability, reliability, good ap-
pearance, and should represent a proper balance between
price and quality. It is this phase of the general subject of
quality and its control that I would like to discuss, specifi-
cally as it relates to our engineering achievements at the
Western in the interest of low product costs and high prod-
uct quality.
Quality and Cost
Everyone, no doubt, has encountered products where
quality and price have gotten out of balance, but that does
not necessarily mean that they cannot be kept in balance. To
illustrate my point, I should like to use an example.
There is in the transmitter of the telephone set a part
which is plated with gold for transmission reasons, and there
is a minimum requirement for thickness of this plating. If

the thickness of the plating were doubled, the cost of the
part might be increased about in the same proportion, but
the improvement in the function of the part would hardly be
measurable. A condition of this kind might support a high
price, but it does not maintain the proper relationship of
quality and price.
~ eoften j the view is expressed that a high quality prod-
uct of necessity must be a high priced product. I would like
to challenge that view and, supported by the evidence of
many years experience of the Western Electric Company,
establish the contrary view that low production costs and
high product quality need not be in conflict. The facts which
go to develop high quality stem from many sources, some
affect manufacturing costs and others do not. Management's
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014
policy in regard to quality is an important one, and in itself
nced not affect manufacturing costs. If high quality is the
goal of management, then everyone in the organization from
the president to the shipping clerk must be quality con-
scious, and each make his or her contribution to attain this
goal. It would be a very difficult assignment to appraise
accurately the contribution of each of the various occupa-
tions or each of the factors on which high quality and low
costs are dependeht---the product designer, the manufactur-
ing engineer, the supervisor, the machine or tool designer,
the man at the machine, the woman in the conveyor line, the
inspector, the quality control procedures, employee morale,
and efficiency, or many other contributing factors that could
be listed. 1 believe, however, we at the Western are in agree-
ment that, under the organization which we have, the manu-
facturing engineer has a great opportunity through his ef-
forts to effect low manufacturing cosfs and high product
quality.
Objectives of Western Electric Engineering
Just a word about our setup at the Western. We are the
Manufacturing Branch of the Bell System. Our products are
designed by the Bell Telephone Laboratories. In the Manu-
fncturing Branch of the Company we have an organization
known as the Engineer of Manufacture, which is well
staffed with technically trained men, whose job it is, as the
name of the organization implies, to engineer our products
for manufacture. A threefold result is expected from these
engineer-
I. Low manufacturing costs
2. ~ i quality
~ hof product
3. Improved working conditions for employees.
While, as previously stated, our products are designed by the
Bell Telephone Laboratories, the first contact of the manu-
JONES
facturing engineer with the product takes place in the very
early stages of design. With his manufacturing experience
he is very often able, by working with the product designer,
to suggest features that have an important bearing on manu-
facturing costs and product quality long before the product
goes into production. His second opportunity to influence
quality is in planning for the manufacture of the product.
The determination of the most suitable processes and meth-
ods of manufacture involved and the sequence o f these
operations, the selection of the best machine for the purpose,
the right type of tool and gauge required, the arrangement
of these facilities in the shop, the grade of labor to be em-
ployed, all of these functions for which the engineer is re-
sponsible have an important bearing on the cost and quality
of the product. His third opportunity comes in introducing
changes in facilities and methods as he is able to develop
or discover new and improved ones. There can be no fixed
formula that can serve the engineer in carrying out these
assignments. Experience, of course, is a big factor. One
helpful thing for him to bear in mind, however, is expressed
in the old adage "To err is human", and wherever he can
mechanize an operation and eliminate or supplement the
human element he invariably has contributed something to
the quality of the product.
A policy which we have adhered to religiously at the
Western is that no changes are introduced in an effort to
reduce costs that in any way will impair the quality of the
product. This may appear to be a serious handicap for the
engineer whose progress is determined by his ability to
develop and introduce improved methods of manufacture.
This has not been our experience, for we have found that
when the engineer has amved at the best way to perform an
operation or manufacture a product, invariably the result has
been an improvement in the quality of that product. I might
also add that there have been many instances where the
engineer has undertaken to improve the quality of a prod-
uct by a change in the method of manufacture, and has
obtained the dual result-improved quality and lower costs.
That is why I maintain that high quality and low costs are
not in conflict.
Some Examples
1. Insulating Exchange Area Cable
I would like to cite a few cases from our experience,
where the accomplishments of the manufacturing engineer
support this contention. I would like to start with one affect-
ing one of our most important products with which you are
all more or less familiar-exchange area cable. This cable,
as the name implies, is that cable which connects your tele-
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

2.
 Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

8.
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

Bank
 Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

16.
 Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

19.
Downloaded by [Northeastern University] at 09:47 30 October 2014

DIm