Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate /forum/post/20778430
But I always thought that the underlying goal/purpose of modern engineering was ongoing improvement in both quality and and cost factors.\\
Either you never been to a manufacturing plant in China or you've succumb to believe the rubbish that big manufacturers feed their consumers.
Yes, ideally, modern engineering is supposed to help with ongoing improvement in both quality and cost factors. But in reality, a business has to make money. Ongoing improvement is not so much to benefit consumers, but to gain an advantage over a competitor's products. Consumers just benefit in between. Competition between manufacturers is also what drives the price for consumers down over time.
I love BMW, but it's a great example for case point here. I have a friend that works closely in the mid-range management area at BMW USA, and told me that BMW strategically makes their cars breakable after 4-5 years, well within the time that your warranty runs out. And we all know BMWs are costly to maintain. So either you will love your initial experience and buy a new one, or have to be sucked into constant maintenance and ring a huge tab.
Also just like the printer example mentioned by "airscapes". Very good one. Businesses will drive down the cost of the capsule product and earn a small margin of profit; however, what a consumer will be locked in on for a longer term will be the type of bulb that he/she will have to continue purchasing over time.
Corporations and manufacturers are here to make a sale. It's all about profit and revenue making. Remember that.