Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

If I ask you what quality is, you might respond with a mini lecture on Statistical Quality Control. Or perhaps you will respond with a description of your favorite quality measuring instrument or computer. You may talk about cleanliness or a brand name.

When it comes to packaging, I have a name that delivers the best packages to the consumer in my opinion: Apple. Apple's packaging, be it for a computer, tablet, phone or watch exudes quality. Yet think how many variables must be measured in order to achieve this level of quality. Without thinking too hard, I would estimate at least twenty different attributes--and this is just at the box manufacturing level, who knows how many others extend all the way back to the fiber supply let alone the coatings.

So, when it comes to quality in the pulp and paper industry, quality attributes can be an overwhelming, all-consuming number.

Then where does one start? At the interface with the customer--with subjective attributes. There have been thousands upon thousands of studies done on the interface between customers and paper products.

Putting these attributes into measurable numbers can be a challenge, but this is where to start. Then go backwards from there to the raw material inputs. You must have the correct attributes in the raw materials to achieve the correct subjective results at the customer. You learn these at the customer and move backwards to the raw materials.

In my lifetime, this exercise has gotten much more complex. Fifty years ago, we did not talk about recycling or "forever chemicals." It was a throwaway society. The equipment to manufacture the products was not as capable as machinery today. Some of the typical manufacturing tolerances we have today could not even be achieved back then.

Now, we have to watch the competition as well as ourselves. Fifty years ago, we could not successfully print color on newsprint. We have now gone from printing color on newsprint to just simply eliminating newsprint.

Quality is an ever-changing target. What the market describes as quality today can be completely changed by tomorrow.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Study Guide: Understanding Quality

Quiz: Short-Answer Questions

Instructions: Please answer the following questions in two to three complete sentences, based on the provided source text.

1. How does the author initially challenge common, technical definitions of quality?
2. What company is presented as a prime example of high-quality packaging, and why?
3. According to the text, what is the correct starting point for a company trying to define and achieve quality?
4. What is the primary challenge associated with using subjective customer attributes to guide manufacturing?
5. In the author's view, how does the process of achieving quality flow from the customer back to the production inputs?
6. Identify two specific complexities that have been introduced into the pursuit of quality over the past fifty years.
7. What specific improvement in manufacturing capability over the last half-century does the author mention?
8. Explain the example of newsprint and how it illustrates that quality is a "changing target."
9. Beyond internal standards, what external factor must companies now monitor closely in their pursuit of quality?
10. What is the author's ultimate conclusion about the nature of quality in the marketplace?

Answer Key

1. The author challenges technical definitions by suggesting that if asked about quality, a person might respond with a technical explanation like "Statistical Quality Control" or a description of a measuring instrument. The text implies these answers are incomplete because true quality is more complex and begins with the customer's subjective experience.
2. Apple is used as the primary example of high-quality packaging. The author states that Apple's packaging for its computers, tablets, phones, and watches "exudes quality" and notes that achieving this level requires measuring an estimated twenty different attributes at the box manufacturing level alone.
3. The correct starting point for defining quality is at the interface with the customer, specifically by identifying their "subjective attributes." The text explicitly states that thousands of studies have been done on this interface between customers and paper products.
4. The primary challenge is translating these subjective attributes into measurable numbers that can be used in the manufacturing process. The text acknowledges that "putting these attributes into measurable numbers can be a challenge" but insists it is the necessary first step.
5. The author advises learning about desired subjective results at the customer level first. From there, a company must work backwards to the raw material inputs, ensuring that the raw materials possess the correct attributes to produce the desired final outcome.
6. The text identifies two new complexities that were not considerations fifty years ago: recycling and "forever chemicals." These concerns reflect a shift away from what the author describes as a "throwaway society."
7. The author states that manufacturing tolerances have improved significantly over the past fifty years. The text notes that some of the typical manufacturing tolerances achieved today could not have been met with the less capable machinery of the past.
8. Fifty years ago, successfully printing color on newsprint was a quality achievement. Now, the market has moved on to the point of "simply eliminating newsprint," demonstrating that what the market defines as quality can be completely changed over time.
9. The text states that companies now have to "watch the competition" in addition to monitoring their own quality standards. This implies a more dynamic and competitive marketplace than in the past.
10. The author's ultimate conclusion is that quality is an "ever-changing target." What the market describes as quality today can be completely different tomorrow, requiring constant adaptation.

Essay Questions

Instructions: Consider the following prompts for longer-form analysis of the text. Do not provide answers.

1. Discuss the author's central thesis that quality begins with "subjective attributes" at the customer interface. How does this contrast with more traditional, technical definitions of quality mentioned in the text?
2. Using the example of Apple's packaging, analyze the relationship between a consumer's subjective perception of quality and the numerous, complex, and measurable variables required in the manufacturing process.
3. Explain how the pulp and paper industry, as described by the author, serves as a case study for the evolution of quality standards over the past fifty years, incorporating concepts like raw materials, new chemical concerns, and manufacturing capabilities.
4. The author states, "Quality is an ever-changing target." Elaborate on this statement using specific examples from the text, such as newsprint, and discuss its broader implications for manufacturers in any industry.
5. Describe the author's recommended process for achieving quality, starting from the customer and working "backwards" to raw materials. What are the key steps, challenges, and strategic advantages of this approach as presented in the article?

Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

Quality A complex and dynamic attribute defined primarily by the market and customer perception. It begins with subjective customer attributes and is achieved by translating those attributes into measurable variables that trace back to raw material inputs. It is described as an "ever-changing target."

Subjective Attributes The qualities of a product as perceived by the customer. These are the starting point for defining and measuring quality, even though they can be challenging to convert into numerical data.

Statistical Quality Control A technical and data-driven method for monitoring and controlling quality. The author presents this as a common but incomplete way of thinking about quality.

Manufacturing Tolerances The permissible limits of variation in a physical dimension of a manufactured product. The text notes that the ability to achieve tight tolerances has improved significantly over the last 50 years.

"Forever Chemicals" A modern-day complexity and concern in manufacturing, contrasted with the "throwaway society" of fifty years ago. This term represents new environmental and material standards that affect quality.

Raw Material Inputs The basic materials from which a product is manufactured (e.g., fiber supply for paper). The text argues these inputs must have the correct attributes to achieve the subjective quality results desired by the customer.

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