Reliability-A Critical Key to Success

Setting your product, service, business, and yourself apart by high reliability

by Dr. Don Daake

PE- publication release

to be published Wednesday, December 28, 2022 in the Kankakee Daily Journal

Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a two-part article.  In part one, Dr. Daake will discuss product and service reliability.  In part 2 on January 11th, Don will then examine how personal reliability is critical to ourselves and others.

Reliability means consistent behavior and results you can count on time after time.  Synonyms include dependability, consistency, durability, and trustworthiness.

During times of high inflation, as a customer, buyer, or employer getting the best value for our money is more critical than ever.  Different people take various approaches to cope with inflation.  A notable trend among lower and middle income consumers and those on fixed incomes is to trade down to get what we need.  We simply have no choice.  We must be able to buy groceries, gas, pay our utilities, purchase clothing, and necessary everyday items.  During such times, many of us shop at discount stores like Walmart and various dollar stores.  Getting something good enough is better than not getting it at all.

On the other hand, there is the old adage, “You get what you pay for.” It is a general guideline, but not always true.  Wealthier families usually buy top brands and products that supposedly last forever.  On the service side, they will go to the best professionals, regardless of cost.

Which approach is correct?  It all depends on your situation, resources, and past experiences.  I’ll admit I use both strategies.  If I need a tool for a one-time use, a cheap “made in China” is just fine.  I will spend more if I need a tool that must last for years.  The Craftsman brand has sold billions of dollars of tools based on that promise.

Let me give you some examples of highly reliable products and services.  About ten years ago, after going through multiple cheap printers, messy refill ink tubes, and paper jams, I decided to invest in a high-quality Hewlett Packer (HP) colored laser printer.

At the time, in local office supply and printing stores, colored copies were 40-50 cents a page.  I paid almost $700 for the HP, which was a lot for a home office.  However, I have printed at least 100,000 copies over the last ten years without significant problems.  I used it for class printouts, professional presentations, our Christmas letters, and so forth.  Today, store-printed color copies cost between 15-60 cents.  Suppose over the years, the average costs had been 35 cents per color copy and for black and white about 10 cents.  That would have totaled between $15,000-$35,000 to print my 100,000 copies, depending on the mix of B & W and color.

Of course, I supply my own paper and ink toner cartridges.  There is a big catch, however.  HP states that if you use other than the new original cartridges, you will void the warranty.  At an average cost of $110 per cartridge (4 cartridges are needed), then it costs over $440 + paper costs to print the 2000 copies. 

But over time, I have taken a chance on buying recycled-refilled cartridges.  Usually, I pay about $80 for a set of all four.  I can be both Green and save my green.  The paper I use is “good enough” for the job.  Here is a quick comparison.  To print 2000 color pages: At an office supply store (assuming 35 cents a copy)–$700; with new cartridges at home-$520; with recycled cartridges, $120.  The underlying quality and reliability of the HP LaserJet makes these considerable savings possible.

Another product where it pays to buy high-quality is vehicle tires.  High-end tires for trucks or SUVs can travel 70,000 miles or more.  High-quality tires can be a bargain, even at $150-200 per tire.  We don’t often think about during 70,000 miles, the tires keep us safe, provide better control, and hold their value.  They rotate a stunning 47 million times over roads with bumps, defects, gravel, and even an occasional pothole! (Don’t believe me? Do the math.)

Regarding services, high-quality, reliable education is critical to your future.  Many low-quality “buy a degree” programs have emerged over the last few years.  There are also many high-quality online degrees.  But there is also a glut of programs (in-person and online) being taught by unqualified people who have low standards.  These programs have low graduation rates and “easy” financing that has put hundreds of thousands of people into debt with little to show for it, more than a piece of paper. 

On the other hand, many private institutions, public universities, and community colleges provide quality and reliable degrees at a reasonable cost.  If tempted to go with an easy program, think twice.

I have never had to apologize for my MBA from the University of Iowa or my Ph.D. from Florida State.  Unfortunately, those of us who paid the price of high academic rigor, sacrifice, and lots of hard work get exasperated with these “make-believe” degrees.  In many cases, the mandatory work load is literally only 25% of the requirements compared to rigorous programs. And yet these degree holders walk around touting their MBAs or “Doctorates.”

As exasperating and frustrating as air travel can be, we demand absolute reliability.  How many of us would get on an airplane if the airline company bragged that it was very reliable? What if they claimed that 999 out of a thousand planes that took off landed safely?  By comparison when it comes to the probability that you’ll get a high-quality hamburger 9 out of 10 times, you might tolerate that.  

But flying is different.  As Zig Ziglar has joked, chances are if an airplane takes off, there is a good chance it is also coming down.   Every year over 900,000 flights take off or land at O’Hare, and there has not been a significant accident since the American Airline flight 191 in May of 1979.

So we do have a choice on reliability.  Reviews from magazines like Consumer Reports, recommendations for or against by friends, relatives, and our own past experience are good sources. 

Whether buying or selling, reliability is a prime concern for businesses and consumers.  Next time I will focus on the reliability of people.

Don Daake, BS, MBA, Ph.D., holds degrees from Kansas State University, the University of Iowa, and Florida State University.  He is a Professor Emeritus at Olivet.  He now lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He can be contacted  directly at ddaake@olivet.edu

What is all the noise about “Quiet Quitting?”

“We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work”
 Thomas A. Edison

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Tim Notke, basketball coach

By Dr. Brad Thomas & Dr. Don Daake

Our wise friend says that in tough times at work “The good give up and leave… the bad give up and stay.”  A clarification–bad and good here does not necessarily refer to a person’s character, but rather their work habits and effort. We have seen this “go or stay” phenomena play out in the last three years.  There have been so many jobs available that many hard working, competent employees, have left low-paying, difficult work environments and have moved on. Unfortunately, the low performers too often have to stay.

This relatively new phenomena is known as “quiet quitting.”  According to a Gallup survey, “quiet quitters” make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. Quiet quitting is the idea that people are disengaged at work and doing the minimum. The term “quiet quitting” can be traced to a TikTok video. Most notably a career coach, Brian Creely, posted a video that went viral when he described this phenomenon in March 2022 by saying “More people are ‘quiet quitting’ instead of leaving”. “Dirty Jobs” creator Mike Rowe commented on this issue on Brian Kilmeade’s radio show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e62M3_pwuBI

This trend has been associated mostly with Gen Z workers, because they are frustrated with being characterized as lazy by older generations. However, this may be a misconception that this is more about creating a healthy work-life balance than trying to get fired. In fact, though, we have had always had unmotivated employees from age 18 to 78!

A few years ago, Don was interviewing for a job at Polk County Community College in Florida. He interviewed with Provost Steve Hull, who he had worked with at Eastern Iowa Community College in the early 1980s. As it turned out the timing was not right for Don, but because Steve and Don had worked together for many years he could have had the job.  But Steve pointed out that many Florida employers have to be very careful because there was a whole slew of people who wanted to move to Florida for all the ascetic reasons. But they more-or-less expected to retire on the job–not from the actual job or paycheck, but not expecting to have to work very hard!

The recent Covid response by our government and society deemed many jobs as “non-essential”. Sadly, this declaration has made some people feel less important at work. Since the pandemic of 2020, workforce participation rates are going down among most age groups. Those who are left may be tempted to adopt the posture of quiet quitting. And yet in this post-Covid era, there are still employees who are seeking purpose and well-being in their lives. When employees feel valued and find purpose at work, they are typically more engaged, loyal, and productive.

McKinsey & Company surveyed workers in late 2020 and found that 70% find their sense of purpose is defined by work. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, attributed a drop in productivity to remote work. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated a rise in productivity after Covid lockdowns until companies started demanding that workers return to the office. In fact, CNBC reported that in June 2022, 52% of remote workers were very satisfied with their jobs, compared to only 47% of traditional workers in the office.

Employers and employees should not be viewed as adversaries. This requires respect from both parties. Managers need to be empathetic to workers while still serving customers and various stakeholders.   Good listening skills and communicating why the work demands are necessary is the responsibility of managers.  This requires high emotional intelligence. But employees owe their employers a fair amount of work for the pay. It is an implied employment contract that requires a partnership mentality. It is understandable that employees want a healthy work-life balance.

Many younger workers in Gen Z have seen burnout in their parents, and they are guarding against the stress and exhaustion that they have witnessed. “Acting your wage” is another way to limit your engagement at work, but it may very well hurt your chances of promotion. If a minimum wage equals minimum effort, how would you ever advance or become more valuable to an employer? On the other hand, every new generation of workers have to earn their right to a work-life balance. New accountants, for example, must recognize that during tax season it is work, work, and work. But enlighten partners in the best firms find ways of compensating the employees with time off during the less busy season.

In our opinion (which is supported by a vast amount of research) the amount of engagement at work is not completely a factor of pay or work conditions. Work ethic may be tied to a more long-term view of the purpose. Colossians 3:23 (NIV) says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord”. The response to an unreasonable supervisor, low pay, or long hours does not necessarily lead to doing less by quiet quitting. Purpose and meaning can be partially found in the workplace. Engagement with our job and partnership with our employer for a larger purpose can be achieved in this post-pandemic age.

One final caution is called for! A majority of economists believe that the year 2023 we will have a mild to severe recession.  Already many companies and organizations are having to make tough employment decisions. Guess who will be the first to go!  Quite quitters will be “de-employed” first. But high performers will virtually always keep their jobs or be able to find a new one.

Dr. Brad Thomas, DBA, MBA, is a professor of business and MIS at Olivet Nazarene University with over 20 years of information technology experience.  He also works at the Bourbonnais Township Park District as a Marketing Assistant.  He can be contacted at bthomas@olivet.edu.

Don Daake, MBA, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at Olivet. He has done consulting with many large and small companies and has numerous publications in academic journals, conference papers, and book chapters. He now lives in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. Contact him directly at ddaake@olivet.edu