sirgilligan
Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2010
- Messages
- 895
I have been reading an interview with the late Hiromu Naruse entitled " http://gazoo.com/racing/english/grmn/meister/vol_01/index.asp What is 'Automotive Seasoning'?".
Naruse was known as a "meister of automobile manufacturing". He recently died in an automobile accident in Germany. Management at Sig Arms probably already know about Mr. Naruse, but if not they should consider his genius.
Naruse compares the inception, creation, and completion of an automobile to that of preparing a culinary dish. For me the analogy is clear and meaningful. I love automobiles and I drive as many different types as possible. It doesn't matter if the automobile is a Honda Civic or a BMW 3 series, I enjoy "tasting" each vehicle and judging if the automobile was satisfying in its role.
Sig Arms attracts consumers with very high expectations. Sig's own advertising encourages users to imagine hellish conditions with zero malfunctions. The price of a Sig weapon suggests quality above that of a common weapon. I do not know if at Sig there are internal discussions of why their customers are so demanding or not, but if so, I propose one of the reasons is because they advertise to attract perfectionists.
I recently browsed Sig Arms career page and found that they are looking for managers with "Lean" and "Six Sigma" experience. I am a student of development processes and have read a lot about Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kanban, Quality Circles, SCRUM, and such things as Work In Progress (WHIP). A personal friend of mine is an expert in the field. You can see his blog at: http://www.shmula.com/about-peter-abilla/
I actively participate and define processes for zero defects in software engineering.
Sorry, I did digress, back to the main thought. Sig has a flavor and if they are not careful they are losing it quickly. The way information travels so quickly now puts great demands on companies that create high expectation for satisfaction.
"Naruse has long said that “just as in cuisine, the ‘flavor’ of a car is quite important.” The performance of the engine and chassis expressed by the specifications, equipment such as a navigation system and power steering, and other “specs” determine the basic performance of a motor vehicle and establish its attributes. This alone, however, does not make a car. In terms of cuisine, these are simply the ingredients, and preparing the ingredients according to the recipe alone does not complete the dish. It is the final seasoning that determines the quality of the food and whether it will impress the people who eat it."
Sig Arms has all of the ingredients, they have good recipes, but currently the seasoning seems to be off.
Has Sig been creating new combination of seasoning or have they just been remodeling?
"People may think that “seasoning” a car generally entails replacing parts such as the suspension or the wheels to make the handling firmer and adding aerodynamic parts to enhance the aerodynamic performance. This, however, is “remodeling,” and is not “seasoning.” Seasoning (fine-tuning) and remodeling are completely different. We want the customer to feel that the product is “delicious” and be happy with their choice, and to think, “Wow, I want to eat (i.e. drive) this again!” Toyota currently sells a wide variety of vehicles, but are all customers truly satisfied? I feel a sense of self-admonishment and believe that our products still have a long way to go. There may even be some customers who have never tasted the true “deliciousness” of a car. I want these customers to experience the taste of the real thing and to experience complete satisfaction. This is how we feel. I am confident that with our seasoning, Toyota’s cars become all the more “delicious.” "
Currently it feels like, it seems like, Sig Arms is not seeing that many of their customers are not experiencing complete satisfaction. Should a customer be completely satisfied? Some might quickly shout, "most people are not reasonable". However that is not the case, in truth the vast majority of people are reasonable. It is just an internal bias when one thinks that they are reasonable and others are not.
"The feel of the ride can change completely by changing the shock absorber shims by just two-tenths of a millimeter. Also, the quality of the ride that humans feel when driving is related to “longitudinal G-force” (“lateral G-force” is related to fear), and through experience and training, we can feel and adjust the force in units of 1/1000 of a G. The longitudinal G-force normally felt in an elevator is about 0.2 G, so this gives an idea of just how subtle our adjustments are. If these minute differences are taken in isolation, ordinary people won’t feel anything different. But when combined together with all the other minute differences, a big difference can be made to the “taste” of the car. "
The trigger pull of a gun could be compared to the lateral G-force described above. The weight of the slide, or the strength of the recoil spring, or simply the shape of the grip. Back to the car analogy, the handling could be perfect and if the engine is not, the entire composition is compromised.
"...most people cannot really tell the difference between high-end brand clothes and relatively inexpensive clothes simply by looking at them, but when worn, the differences become apparent. This is the case of high-quality products and of true tastes. It is exactly the same with cars... With a car, as in the case of my dear wife, the true flavor comes out after years of being together, through thick and thin. "
"To create good flavor, it is important to accentuate the good points (strengths) rather than eliminate every imperfection. If we were to create an all-round vehicle with no imperfections that practically no one would dislike, it wouldn’t have any flavor."
So, what is the flavor that I expect from Sig Arms. Reliability. What does that mean? It means it shoots every time, all the time, from day one to day 1000. It shoots anything I put in it and does so in a way that amazes. Sig weapons are not the prettiest, in my opinion. Even though they make attractive weapons, that is not their seasoning.
"When adding seasoning, it is necessary to determine one’s own flavor. Even if you were to conduct a survey and ask customers what kinds of flavor they want, you wouldn’t find the answer there. Rather, there are two possible questions that you could ask customers. Does it taste good or bad? Or, do you want to eat it again or not? This is because customers are not professionals, and if you increase or decrease the salt according to customer requests, the flavor will gradually become peculiar. There is no sense in seeking a middle of the road taste that practically no-one would dislike. "
The ever so common question on the forums is, "Would you buy a Sig?" and "Would you buy another Sig?". An answer of yes or no is sufficient because most of us are not professionals and therefore we don't really know what change would really address our concerns. For me as a software professional asking a user how they would have the software work rarely results in actionable information. Most users do not know the capabilities or constraints of a software system and therefore can not even image the possible solutions to a problem.
"At one point, there was an attempt to quantify my know-how and create a manual. In the end, however, it didn’t turn out well. This is because know-how is not the same as knowledge. Results such as “in this type of situation, I used this kind of countermeasure” are no more than solutions for specific problems. What is important is asking how the solution was reached, or why something was done the way it was. This is what we call technique or craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is not handed down through education."
When there are complaints about a particular Sig firearm often someone will respond with something like, "When these were made in Germany they didn't have these problems." Could it be that the method of making a Sig firearm was brought over the pond but not the model of why it was made the way it was made?
"Things that are learnt from others passively will never be useful. What is necessary is “nurturing.” In other words, you will not learn unless you feel that you must do something and want to do something and have the desire to learn and to take from others. Craftsmanship is handed down in implicit knowledge."
Is there a system of nuturing at Sig Arms? One wonders, but unless someone at Sig answers to this post we will never really know.
"Races are the best forum for handing down craftsmanship and nurturing human resources. Unexpected things happen all the time and things that must be done out of necessity occur constantly."
I propose to any and all gun manufactures a new type of race for their products. A competition where each company present chooses five weapons from their competitors assembly line. Then each company takes the weapon chosen from their own assembly line by their competitors and takes the weapon directly out of the box, applies lubrication, and then participate in a usage competition. I challenge all to this. Will any take this challenge?
"It is necessary to skillfully and accurately solve problems with limited time and tools. These types of things do not happen within a computer, but happen right before our eyes. It is under these extreme conditions that we focus entirely on winning the race and work as hard as we possibly can. The word “can’t” does not exist at the racetrack. This type of experience builds our character, and builds cars. Both the drivers and engineers focus their five senses to engage in a dialogue with the car under the extreme conditions of the race. It is through this dialogue that the perfect flavor becomes visible."
During this competition it would become apparent the flavor of each manufacturers creation.
"Since Toyota’s foundation, it has placed particular importance on checking based on the Genchi Genbutsu approach, and it is through this that the flavor of cars is created. As I mentioned earlier, what is important is not discussing automobile development based on words and data, but to actually install the parts, feel them with your own hands, and see them with your own eyes"
Genchi Genbutsu means go and see. Does each layer of the Sig Arms company organization go and see. From the top to the bottom? The CEO should go and see as well as the customer support representative. Maybe they already do this, but I do not think so. If they could catch the vision of Naruse they could surpass even the Swiss' reputation of quality.
I will end with Naruse's statement on what is needed and let it stand.
"A restaurant has a person who is responsible for determining the flavor of the dishes. That is the chef. The decisions of the chef are final. Dishes that the chef has determined unacceptable are never brought to a customer’s table; if the chef gives the okay, the dish will appear on the restaurant’s menu and will be served to customers no matter how many others object. Determining the flavor isn’t done by a majority vote. Deciding things by compromise is also highly objectionable.European automakers employ a master craftsman (meister) who is responsible for determining the flavor of the cars, and until that person gives the okay, the cars cannot be sold. I believe that Toyota needs this type of person in the future. A restaurant chef not only determines the flavor of the dishes, but has the authority to make decisions on all stages of preparation, right from procuring the ingredients. To me, the ideal would be for a member of the Toyota management team to be such a chef who understands completely the ingredients and the flavors."
Naruse was known as a "meister of automobile manufacturing". He recently died in an automobile accident in Germany. Management at Sig Arms probably already know about Mr. Naruse, but if not they should consider his genius.
Naruse compares the inception, creation, and completion of an automobile to that of preparing a culinary dish. For me the analogy is clear and meaningful. I love automobiles and I drive as many different types as possible. It doesn't matter if the automobile is a Honda Civic or a BMW 3 series, I enjoy "tasting" each vehicle and judging if the automobile was satisfying in its role.
Sig Arms attracts consumers with very high expectations. Sig's own advertising encourages users to imagine hellish conditions with zero malfunctions. The price of a Sig weapon suggests quality above that of a common weapon. I do not know if at Sig there are internal discussions of why their customers are so demanding or not, but if so, I propose one of the reasons is because they advertise to attract perfectionists.
I recently browsed Sig Arms career page and found that they are looking for managers with "Lean" and "Six Sigma" experience. I am a student of development processes and have read a lot about Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kanban, Quality Circles, SCRUM, and such things as Work In Progress (WHIP). A personal friend of mine is an expert in the field. You can see his blog at: http://www.shmula.com/about-peter-abilla/
I actively participate and define processes for zero defects in software engineering.
Sorry, I did digress, back to the main thought. Sig has a flavor and if they are not careful they are losing it quickly. The way information travels so quickly now puts great demands on companies that create high expectation for satisfaction.
"Naruse has long said that “just as in cuisine, the ‘flavor’ of a car is quite important.” The performance of the engine and chassis expressed by the specifications, equipment such as a navigation system and power steering, and other “specs” determine the basic performance of a motor vehicle and establish its attributes. This alone, however, does not make a car. In terms of cuisine, these are simply the ingredients, and preparing the ingredients according to the recipe alone does not complete the dish. It is the final seasoning that determines the quality of the food and whether it will impress the people who eat it."
Sig Arms has all of the ingredients, they have good recipes, but currently the seasoning seems to be off.
Has Sig been creating new combination of seasoning or have they just been remodeling?
"People may think that “seasoning” a car generally entails replacing parts such as the suspension or the wheels to make the handling firmer and adding aerodynamic parts to enhance the aerodynamic performance. This, however, is “remodeling,” and is not “seasoning.” Seasoning (fine-tuning) and remodeling are completely different. We want the customer to feel that the product is “delicious” and be happy with their choice, and to think, “Wow, I want to eat (i.e. drive) this again!” Toyota currently sells a wide variety of vehicles, but are all customers truly satisfied? I feel a sense of self-admonishment and believe that our products still have a long way to go. There may even be some customers who have never tasted the true “deliciousness” of a car. I want these customers to experience the taste of the real thing and to experience complete satisfaction. This is how we feel. I am confident that with our seasoning, Toyota’s cars become all the more “delicious.” "
Currently it feels like, it seems like, Sig Arms is not seeing that many of their customers are not experiencing complete satisfaction. Should a customer be completely satisfied? Some might quickly shout, "most people are not reasonable". However that is not the case, in truth the vast majority of people are reasonable. It is just an internal bias when one thinks that they are reasonable and others are not.
"The feel of the ride can change completely by changing the shock absorber shims by just two-tenths of a millimeter. Also, the quality of the ride that humans feel when driving is related to “longitudinal G-force” (“lateral G-force” is related to fear), and through experience and training, we can feel and adjust the force in units of 1/1000 of a G. The longitudinal G-force normally felt in an elevator is about 0.2 G, so this gives an idea of just how subtle our adjustments are. If these minute differences are taken in isolation, ordinary people won’t feel anything different. But when combined together with all the other minute differences, a big difference can be made to the “taste” of the car. "
The trigger pull of a gun could be compared to the lateral G-force described above. The weight of the slide, or the strength of the recoil spring, or simply the shape of the grip. Back to the car analogy, the handling could be perfect and if the engine is not, the entire composition is compromised.
"...most people cannot really tell the difference between high-end brand clothes and relatively inexpensive clothes simply by looking at them, but when worn, the differences become apparent. This is the case of high-quality products and of true tastes. It is exactly the same with cars... With a car, as in the case of my dear wife, the true flavor comes out after years of being together, through thick and thin. "
"To create good flavor, it is important to accentuate the good points (strengths) rather than eliminate every imperfection. If we were to create an all-round vehicle with no imperfections that practically no one would dislike, it wouldn’t have any flavor."
So, what is the flavor that I expect from Sig Arms. Reliability. What does that mean? It means it shoots every time, all the time, from day one to day 1000. It shoots anything I put in it and does so in a way that amazes. Sig weapons are not the prettiest, in my opinion. Even though they make attractive weapons, that is not their seasoning.
"When adding seasoning, it is necessary to determine one’s own flavor. Even if you were to conduct a survey and ask customers what kinds of flavor they want, you wouldn’t find the answer there. Rather, there are two possible questions that you could ask customers. Does it taste good or bad? Or, do you want to eat it again or not? This is because customers are not professionals, and if you increase or decrease the salt according to customer requests, the flavor will gradually become peculiar. There is no sense in seeking a middle of the road taste that practically no-one would dislike. "
The ever so common question on the forums is, "Would you buy a Sig?" and "Would you buy another Sig?". An answer of yes or no is sufficient because most of us are not professionals and therefore we don't really know what change would really address our concerns. For me as a software professional asking a user how they would have the software work rarely results in actionable information. Most users do not know the capabilities or constraints of a software system and therefore can not even image the possible solutions to a problem.
"At one point, there was an attempt to quantify my know-how and create a manual. In the end, however, it didn’t turn out well. This is because know-how is not the same as knowledge. Results such as “in this type of situation, I used this kind of countermeasure” are no more than solutions for specific problems. What is important is asking how the solution was reached, or why something was done the way it was. This is what we call technique or craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is not handed down through education."
When there are complaints about a particular Sig firearm often someone will respond with something like, "When these were made in Germany they didn't have these problems." Could it be that the method of making a Sig firearm was brought over the pond but not the model of why it was made the way it was made?
"Things that are learnt from others passively will never be useful. What is necessary is “nurturing.” In other words, you will not learn unless you feel that you must do something and want to do something and have the desire to learn and to take from others. Craftsmanship is handed down in implicit knowledge."
Is there a system of nuturing at Sig Arms? One wonders, but unless someone at Sig answers to this post we will never really know.
"Races are the best forum for handing down craftsmanship and nurturing human resources. Unexpected things happen all the time and things that must be done out of necessity occur constantly."
I propose to any and all gun manufactures a new type of race for their products. A competition where each company present chooses five weapons from their competitors assembly line. Then each company takes the weapon chosen from their own assembly line by their competitors and takes the weapon directly out of the box, applies lubrication, and then participate in a usage competition. I challenge all to this. Will any take this challenge?
"It is necessary to skillfully and accurately solve problems with limited time and tools. These types of things do not happen within a computer, but happen right before our eyes. It is under these extreme conditions that we focus entirely on winning the race and work as hard as we possibly can. The word “can’t” does not exist at the racetrack. This type of experience builds our character, and builds cars. Both the drivers and engineers focus their five senses to engage in a dialogue with the car under the extreme conditions of the race. It is through this dialogue that the perfect flavor becomes visible."
During this competition it would become apparent the flavor of each manufacturers creation.
"Since Toyota’s foundation, it has placed particular importance on checking based on the Genchi Genbutsu approach, and it is through this that the flavor of cars is created. As I mentioned earlier, what is important is not discussing automobile development based on words and data, but to actually install the parts, feel them with your own hands, and see them with your own eyes"
Genchi Genbutsu means go and see. Does each layer of the Sig Arms company organization go and see. From the top to the bottom? The CEO should go and see as well as the customer support representative. Maybe they already do this, but I do not think so. If they could catch the vision of Naruse they could surpass even the Swiss' reputation of quality.
I will end with Naruse's statement on what is needed and let it stand.
"A restaurant has a person who is responsible for determining the flavor of the dishes. That is the chef. The decisions of the chef are final. Dishes that the chef has determined unacceptable are never brought to a customer’s table; if the chef gives the okay, the dish will appear on the restaurant’s menu and will be served to customers no matter how many others object. Determining the flavor isn’t done by a majority vote. Deciding things by compromise is also highly objectionable.European automakers employ a master craftsman (meister) who is responsible for determining the flavor of the cars, and until that person gives the okay, the cars cannot be sold. I believe that Toyota needs this type of person in the future. A restaurant chef not only determines the flavor of the dishes, but has the authority to make decisions on all stages of preparation, right from procuring the ingredients. To me, the ideal would be for a member of the Toyota management team to be such a chef who understands completely the ingredients and the flavors."
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When people talk about the old school Sigs people are talking about guns like: 
