To achieve the level of quality found overseas requires American management to change how they operate. Overseas goods are higher quality because they adopted Demming's theories of Statistical Process Control along with the idea of elimination of departmental organizational structures in favor of process-oriented teams who constantly manage, monitor and improve processes by using statistical methods instead of the latest management paperback book gimmick (Anybody still a 1 minute Manager?). His philosophy of Continous Improvement is the backbone management philosophy for all these overseas companies you see making high-quality product. Many American companies are attempting to implement these ideas now, but management's outdated conceptions of how companes should be organized and operated are an enormous barrier in this country. Each mid level martinet's petty power base is threatened by these changes and they will fight them tooth and nail. At best, we get a bastardized version of CIP here. Aiding these outdated managers are computers, which make inheritantly inefficient processes seem more efficient for a little while, which delays the implemtation of newer processes that would result in higher quality products. Labor unions as they currently exist, with an inability to be flexible enough to change, are also a huge barrier. Both then blame the other. It all adds up to rather depressing propects for American industry.