Back in the seventies I read a very interesting book. The name was "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." It was a novel that had little to do with motorcycle maintenance.

The author and the main character had been a college professor. Throughout much of the book there was great discussion about defining the word "Quality." He made a great case for the fact that this word could not be defined. Quality meant something different to everyone.

The "Quality" that J.D. Powers measures is based on very broad categories. As an example if there is an electrical failure there is no distinction between a switch that failed or if the entire wiring harness and everything in the whole car burned out, both occurrences get the same statistical weight.

Even so, within their parameters, MB does not come out the very worse.

There are many, many parameters not measured by their statistics. Do they measure performance? Do they measure comfort? Do they measure safety? Do they measure ergonomics? Do they measure structural integrity? Do they measure how difficult a car is to repair? Do they measure ride quality? Do they measure long term engine life? Do they measure long term reliability? Do they measure resale value? Do they measure upholstery and seat construction quality? Do they measure the statistics of how many people are killed or injured in an accident as a percentage of accidents?

Choosing a car by the J.D. Powers ratings would by like voting for a politician on ONE SINGLE ISSUE! The sad thing is that many, many people do just that. They don't look at the overall picture.

This shortsightedness carries over into much of the Harvard MBA style of business thinking of the last 20 or so years. They can't see past the end of their nose, only looking at this month, this quarter, or at the most, this year.

Look at the big picture in life and objects in the world.

Have a great day,