Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 14:29:31 -0400
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: Quality of Work, NO VANAGON werds,
was: German parts Was: Rear Bumpers Was: Hole in Ozone Was: Life
& Times of Jacques Cousteau Was: Sally Jessie on Trial
Bulley Babble (thanks to speech-recognition software, while I eat my
lunch), on a subject near and dear to my heart: QUALITY.
We are living in a unique time. Not long ago, let's say, during the early
'70s, country of origin and long-term familiarity with the manufacturing
company were clear indicators of the level of quality you would receive
upon purchase.
Company names like Westinghouse, General Motors, or Foster Grant spoke of
their quality, and were part of their "competitive advantage". Where are
these top brands of the early '70's now?
It was likewise for country of origin. For example, we all accepted on
face value that Americans made a fantastic large luxury car. The Japanese
made a fantastic small economy car. The Germans built well-engineered
auto-cross quality sports cars. The French made...well, the French have
always made great breads.
Today, Japan and Germany make great luxury cars, Americans are currently
building decent trucks, and the French are still baking great bread. All
mixed up. Ten to 15 years from now, long-standing company name and country
of origin will be irrelevant.
If you want to see the roots of this shift, think for example of two of our
list vendors, Ken Wilford, and Ron Salmon. Their businesses, on which many
of us rely upon for absolute quality advice and parts, did not exist a few
years ago.
Their location is irrelevant. Their prior business concerns, irrelevant.
We all know we will get a quality part at a fair price. Their location is
irrelevant. Their company name is irrelevant, (does Ken even HAVE a company
name???).
In three or four years, not that they wish either one of them any ill will,
but neither one of those businesses may exist at all. The market is
changing rapidly. New opportunities present themselves every day, and smart
people like Ron, or like Ken, may choose to specialize, sell the business,
or change trade. In the void that would be created by the loss of their
business, a new QUALITY leader would step in.
As another example, the computer I am using to write this email was built
by a company I had never heard of prior to researching my purchase; it was
built in a state I have never visited, by people I've never met or seen,
and with whom I have only interacted with once or twice. If the company
name had been "Kzyllerkznchia", and they were located in Lower Vulgaria, I
wouldn't have cared. I wanted quality, at a decent price.
To select this product, I didn't turn to long-term company name
recognition, or geographic origin, but rather to indicators of QUALITY.
The companies that have relaxed, and rested on the "name brand"
philosophy, (ala "IBM" & "Apple") are quickly finding themselves at the
lower rungs of the market latter, while relative newcomers like Micron and
Dell are eating their lunch.
Like many of you, I turned to magazine reviews, and the recommendation of
people I knew had relevant knowledge; in both cases looking for indicators
of QUALITY.
Fasten your seat belts. As a consumer in this new market it will be up to
you to do your homework. Whether you are talking about piston rings, or
pomegranates, you already realize the array of products and producers is
increasing exponentially each year.
Just as it all business though, the cream will always rise to the top. The
best will survive and flourish, whether that product was built in America,
Germany, or Istanbul, by Hispanics, Turks, or Purple-People-Eaters.
Eventually, the low quality, inferior product will be driven from the
market, whether that low quality inferior product was built in America,
Germany, or Istanbul, by Hispanics, Turks, or Purple-People-Eaters.
It scared many people when George Bush announced there was "A New World
Order". No one truly knows what that means, particularly when we look at
the events going on around the Globe today.
But one thing is true: the divisions of race, country of origin, name of
country, religious affiliation, are becoming less relevant today than they
have ever been; and will continue to become less relevant as the years roll
by. As frightening as it may be, we ARE moving closer to an
interdependent, inter-reliant, global economy. Those who cannot tolerate
diversity will suffer.
In this new diverse, interwoven economy, the QUALITY of one's product and
of one's behavior will bear far more influence than one's name, or country
of origin.
Peace.
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
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