Ahead to the Past: Dependence on mass inspection in iPhone 5 assembly

See on Scoop.it – lean manufacturing

“…a government spokesman for the Zhengzhou industrial zone said about 100 Foxconn inspectors refused to go back to work after one was reputedly beaten by disgruntled workers.’The instruction to strengthen quality inspections for the iPhone 5 was given by Apple Inc. following multiple complaints from customers regarding aesthetic flaws in the phone,’ said the unnamed spokesman…”

30 years after Deming called on manufacturers to cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality, the practice seems thriving in the assembly of an iconic 12st-century product. It should be noted that the quality issues are not about how the iPhone 5 works but how it looks. They are purely issues of assembly and handling, not electronics.

See on appleinsider.com