Iritish 'quality' an save us
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FHY BUY FOREIGN? (CM inuary 20, 1983). Why not buy ritish? (CM any year). A current theme in Commercial rotor, but we never seem to get lywhere. The study of buying ivantages/disbenefits is a )glected area of business anagement. Just put
)tebooks aside for noting imperative prices at purchase rie, and faults as they occur, in e office, the workshop and at )me and I think then that it will ;come more obvious what a lot foreign junk on the one hand, id sophisticated but itrageously expensive to Tvice and replace materials on e other, that we are buying. British firms can regain most their lost territory in the long rm; we need again to be able trust brand names and, rther than this, such terms as what was the best of the lot — iheffield Steel".
Trade unions in manufacturing rms should press for better uality control at their works ben they negotiate on pay and )nditions. Quality safeguards in and that is worth a lot of money.
Employers for their part can claim if they do produce quality that quality equals better job security and this will help them to attract more intelligent employees. Too many fall between stools; their product is not too cheap competitively; rather, it is not too reliable qualitatively.
This is the crux of the UK's whole financial position. We are the world's champion exporter and have the most unemployed in the West. Put the above right and we could be the most prosperous country in Western Europe. No one can disagree. But they can, and do, contemporaneously — ceaselessly — refuse to face these facts. Not facing facts can be the beginning, the meaning and the end of tragedy.
REG BARKER London N4