Quality

In March of 2010 network television channels across America were reporting of adults making 911 calls in a desperate panic as their car was speeding out of their control and would not stop. Viewers could listen to the recorded 911 calls and hear the fear that the callers had as they wondered if they were going to crash and die. In fact, according to a report issued by CBS news 52 people were killed in sudden acceleration accidents. (CBS News, 2010) The cars that were experiencing this deadly acceleration activity were the Toyota Prius. Toyota’s responses to the incidents were initially that there was not a problem with the cars yet in the same year they issued a recall of 6 million Prius nationwide to correct a mechanical problem which has seemed to correct the sudden acceleration problem. Toyota suffered in repetition, sales fell and the government was called in to investigate the car company’s actions. Quality clearly needed to be addressed in this organization.

In resent news, a meningitis outbreak is occurring across the United States. As of the 23rd of October, 23 people have lost their lives to the illness while 297 are ill with their outcomes unknown. The outbreak has been linked to steroid injections that many people who suffer from pain have received. A medical supply company by the name of New England Compounding Company has been found to be at fault for the contamination. This is not the first incident that the company has faced regarding incidents of contamination according to the Associated Press. Since the outbreak has begun, the company has had to stop production and end distribution. (Steele, 2012) Perhaps, if the medical compounding company would have a quality program then people would not have died or worry about possibly dying before their illness is cured.

Not every product that is being recalled makes major news and many companies can escape the reputation damage that the above two were unable to hide from. However, is it worth...