In the December 1984 issue of Canadian Business, Donald Coxe warns Canadian manufacturers to prepare for stiff competition when tariff protection is eliminated in 1987. But, writes Coxe, Canadian industrialists should view this tougher competition as an opportunity to improve quality. Many companies are already seeking the stamp of approval of the Quality Management Institute (QMI), which signifies the excellent quality of a company's products. QMI is an offshoot of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a largely voluntary engineering group, which has established internationally recognized standards for many electrical, hydraulic and mechanical products. The CSA stamp means a product has been tested and approved for safety, but not necessarily for quality. The QMI therefore adds a dimension that will increasingly ensure that Canadian products can compete internationally on the basis of quality and not only on the basis of price.
The QMI is not a government agency, but entirely the result of industry initiative. Companies are not required to carry the QMI stamp, but according to Coxe, hundreds of companies have applied for the QMI seal of approval. It's one promising indication that Canadian manufacturers can still respond to a difficult challenge. Coxe writes: "As promising as QMI is, though, it's only part of the rethinking, rebuilding and refinancing that Canadian business needs as the world grows freer and more competitive. But such a large-scale, ongoing commitment to giving consumers real value is obviously a splendid affirmation of Canadian industry's fighting qualities."
Add Your Comments
Parents and teachers want children to have the skills to make a difference. But what can we teach to help them survive their teen years, 20s, and 30s with convictions and charac... 
Why do so many of us have to work where the windows don't open? Engineers, architects, and lawyers have their reasons, but must workplaces be less humane than homes? 
In Santa Ana in California prisoners can buy a cell upgrade. In Dallas, Texas, underachieving children are paid to read books. These are, alas, some of the saner and less offens... 
SIX QUESTIONS . . . The new culture I am making is an attempt to say hold still and look at this. 
Our culture does not know how to deal with legacies. We either treat the dead with some combination of awe and fear, or we think of our forebears as unworthy of remembrance, to ...
Harry Antonides is the founding editor of Comment. ... read more »