"Total" quality put to the test

• Jean-Philippe NEUVILLE
  Senior Lecturer, INSA Lyon
  Research associate, Centre de Sociologie des Organisations (Centre for the sociology of organisations) (CNRS)
  
• Pierre-Marie GALLOIS
  Directeur associé de Proconseil et du CIPE, professeur à l'ESCP
  
• Carlos GHOSN
  Assistant managing director, Renault
  

Summary

According to Jean-Phillipe Neuville, the Japanese management methods of 'just-in-time' and 'total' quality are the result of the economics of diversity. Several months spent in two European factories has led him to consider these methods as wishful thinking. 'Non-quality' is everywhere and stocks have simply been moved! Perhaps, in fact, the model was misunderstood, since it was not just a technical model but also included the essential dimension of management philosophy. This is Pierre-Marie Gallois' opinion. Stocks could simply be a symptom of the malfunctioning of the system. In any case, according to Carlos Ghosn they are not at the heart of the '100% quality' programme at Renault. The model is not rigid : it is a toolbox to be used with care to fulfil specific objectives.

Summary translated from French by Rachel MARLIN.

• The entire article was written by Thomas PARIS.

To obtain this article, you can :

• download it for free in French (PDF help) or contact ecopar@paris.ensmp.fr (Reference IN080698).

The entire article appears in French in the Journal de l'École de Paris du management N° 14.