Just Suppose

Granted a cheap fixture is a cheap fixture. Quality manufacturing control is no more expensive than careless slap it together process.

Lots of people want to improve the quality. Are they prepared to pay the price for quality.

Compared to boats, RVs are dirt cheap. There are cheaply made production boats too. Lots of RV hardware is cheaply made. The way things are done in RVs is very often sloppily assembled. Simple things like wiring & using zip ties to keep things tidy & reduce chafe when on the move.

I'd take whatever can be taken from the boating world, well respected builders, not the ones with the biggest advertising budgets, & employ their building methods.

At the moment these methods are only seen in the top end, & price, RVs.

Close the factory and outsource everything to China. Assemble the trailers there except for axles and things on the roof, ship them to Mexico. Finish them there, then bring them to dealers.

Quality would probably be leaps and bounds better.

TucsonJim wrote:
... The company said they are tired of customer complaints. They want to change the perception of their company and become the quality leader. What would you do different that is not being done today?

If you want to change the "perception" you hire better marketing people. (Note: Marketing is NOT advertising)

If you want to change the actual quality you need to go to the line workers AFTER to do your homework.

First learn what the product is. Spend a few days going through each and every model in detail until you know what the product is, take notes and pictures. Next take at least 2 different units out and camp in them for at least 3 to 5 nights. OBSERVE and take notes.

Next put on some work clothes and spend a week on the assembly line and do not let any supervisors identify you as a vice president, just a hired hand. OBSERVE and take notes.

While this is happening the office staff should make a list of every complaint AND warranty repair.

NOW you have reached the point where you:
1) Know the product and the flaws you have identified.
2) Know what the customers have identified as flaws.
3) Know what the workers on the line are going through and their comments.

The last steps will take the longest. Items that are obvious, like lack of proper tools or assemply sequence can be fixed. You need to go to the line workers and tell them you want to help them build a better product but you need their help to tell you what they need. Promise, and keep the promise, that nobody will suffer retribution for being critical of the design, assembly methods, materials used or company policies. Also provide company paid training to all the line workers so they know and understand how to work better.

The line workers need to know that THEY are the most important people in building a quality product.

Tell the bean counters that production WILL slow down for a few months. If they get nasty about it tell the to provide a report of the dollar cost of warranty work done during the last 5 years. That will keep them busy and out of the way for a while.

wa8yxm wrote:


But improved inspection, both during construction and "Final" are important.

Wrong ! Any quality professional will tell you that "You can't inspect in quality." Inspectors are good at finding identified problems but even then their capture rate for problems is less than 50%. Quality is a culture. Unless line workers are willing to stop the line because that last screw just didn't go in right, quality just won't improve. At one of my many employers we were an oem equiptment suppilers to the big three and had a major customer complain about missing screws. Our FIX was to have the final inspector paint every screw head. It solved nothing. Stripped screws or screws that missed their intended substructure still fell out. More inspection is rarely the answer, the increased cost results in very little return.

You need to observe construction as it happens. But step one is review customer complaints, find out what the major issues are.

For example my major complaint is screws loose, epically in the electrical system.. Others complain about fit and finish on some items, and there are a host of other common complaints..

But improved inspection, both during construction and "Final" are important.

Sadly as profits drop, Quality Control is often among the first layoffs.

fred42 wrote:
I have never toured a US RV manufacturer.

Do they look like this one in Europe (Slovenia)? It appears to be conducive to quality, it could be hyped, but the facility and people appear real. I like the idea of workers being more accepting of and competent with modern technology.

Adria Factory Tour

Yea, right! You need to tour a US factory. Not even close to what was on the video.

You can't blame employees, when it is an industry wide issue. It is a conscious management decision, driven by profit.

Dtaylor wrote:
I would hold the workers accountable for the work they do. Do it right the first time or hit the road.

That's right; Get rid of them and hire more of the same for next week. Never mind some employee orientation on what is expected and maybe some skills training in the more difficult operations.

Use my time to be looking for a good job. Because somewhere in the 1month to 6month time period of your tenure you will have pissed off the clique, upset the management/owners and will be the most disliked employee in the place. Things are going like these manufacturers want. They are building and delivering product and getting paid for it and come Hell or high water they are not going to have that interfered with.