.....Not to beat a dead horse, but "gary521's" response hit the nail on the head. It sounds like he's familiar with the 80/20 (Pareto) rule! Here in the Nuclear Industry, I've used Pareto charts during Common cause, Apparent cause, and Root cause analysis many times, among other causal tools, like Stream Analysis. Often times we've learned that if quality isn't internalized from the top, then it will never be able to flow "downhill"........and I think we've all heard what flows "downhill" by now. You can have the fanciest building in the world with all the equipment to identify issues, but if their isn't a "Quality program" internalized by management, outside of cost restraints, to implement the inspections including a robust trend analysis program, then it doesn't matter.
I understand(?) corporate profit metrics, but where is the line drawn on safety and reliability vice stuffed pockets?? Does Thor have a corporate Human Performance program like we have???? Probably not. I'm not saying that the RV industry should mirror the Nuclear industry, or other high quality industries in programs and process, because they would never get the units out, but there is much that can be beneficial to their own production structure while providing the customer with a safe/reliable product that will get them down the road for many years to come.
The "audit facility" is a step in right direction. I'd love to talk with their program manager to perhaps pass on some of my 30 years of Nuclear experience. I wish them luck!!!!
