ABSTRACT
This chapter provides examples and ideas from several types of organizations: health care, software, communications, computers, and the military. In some cases, the lessons offered are positive ones; in others, the article’s value is to point out errors to be avoided. “Breaking New Ground” addresses quality in the communications and computer industries; “The Right Question” looks at the world of software. Communication between customers and providers is paramount, if expectations and requirements are to be brought into line. Many an extended hospital stay and many a malpractice suit are the results of a mis-communication between a doctor and a patient or between the patient and other hospital personnel. Society does measure the economic impact of communications on GNP by inference: the amount of money being made by people active in the industry. The more sophisticated customer expectations and industry specifications become, the more every employee of every provider has an all-but-untraceable impact on the final outcome.
