Total quality management: Case study at SCGC

Santa Cruz Guitar Co (SCGC) is a leading enterprise in the field of guitar production in California. Established in 1976, SCGC has gradually grown from a family-owned business to a global enterprise.

In the development process, instead of making efforts to increase production scale and product quantity, SCGS pays more attention to quality. “We always want to make a difference for our products, so quality is always a top priority for SCGC,” said Dan Roberts, director of the company. In order to achieve this goal, the company has applied the overall quality management system (TQM) to find a solution that is consistent with the development orientation set out.

In TQM, quality is conceived not only of product quality but also the quality of the whole manufacturing process. Creating a standard quality product is only the result of an efficient production process. Based on this view, SCGC had a more general view of the factors affecting product quality.

Taking the previous example, the Company has a lot of workers and machines that work continuously to meet one order. However, due to the high failure rate, the product had to be repeated many times, resulting in a significant waste of material and time. Through the application of TQM, SCGC has realized that there is a more efficient method for its production activities. One of the principles of TQM is planning based on development goals, and for SCGC it is “making a difference”. Since then, the company has begun to implement current staff cuts to focus more on specialized personnel. Currently, the company has 14 skilled craftsmen and is capable of producing about 800 guitars per year.

To keep all processes effective, the production site is divided into six separate areas. Each area is only responsible for one activity in the process and has quality staff for each. On the other hand, Roberts is committed and directly involved in quality control, and no guitar is allowed to ship without his consent. This management method may sound traditional, but it is very effective at SCGC.

Besides the expertise, SCGC also focuses on materials and dimensions to ensure the “uniqueness” of their products. The company has designed many guitar models with many different custom sounds to suit different tastes. By the 90s of last century, they had more than 20 standard models made from many different materials such as Cocobolo wood, Ziricote, Brazil, Figog Mahogany, etc.

In general, “Uniqueness” is the most important feature for SCGC to affirm its brand in the high-end musical instrument market. SCGC products are currently available in many countries around the world with prices up to 4,300 pounds for a guitar model.

Productivity and Quality Office