Introduction
Quality control stands for practices and procedures meant to bring a product or service to the desired level of parameters, be that performance, safety, or other metrics. Failure to comply with quality demands may lead to a variety of complications ranging from poor performance to injury and even death (Lim, 2019). The catastrophe of NASA’s Challenger Shuttle on January 28, 1986, is a classic example of quality control failure (Lim, 2019). The tragic events of the catastrophe were directly connected to the decision-making processes that caused a mechanical failure.
Case Description and Analysis
The blame for the explosion is largely pinned on the performance of the O-rings supplied by Thiokol. The condition for appropriate use of those rings required a warmer temperature, and colder weather, as the company warned NASA, could result in poorer performance and an increased chance of failure (Lim, 2019). These concerns, as well as the concerns that the test results of the O-rings may have been corrupted, did not receive substantial attention from NASA officials, as conducting proper quality insurance procedures required yet another delay.
Thus, the decision to proceed with the launch was a clear violation of quality control and presented an example of engineers’ failure to enforce their concerns. Instead, they buckled under the political pressure and underestimated the risk. As a result, the entirety of the Challenger crew perished in the explosion, and the progress of the space mission was thrown many years back (Lim, 2019). Lastly, the catastrophe also caused considerable damage to NASA and Thiokol’s public image.
Conclusion
The case of NASA’s Challenger Shuttle tragedy presents an example of the worst-case scenario that could happen as a result of poor-quality management. The case emphasizes how chances of a catastrophic failure in expensive projects may be low but never zero. Therefore, Companies and managers should always consider the potential risks and address quality issues, even if they appear insignificant at first glance.
Reference
Lim, J. S. (2019). Quality management in engineering: A scientific and systematic approach. CRC Press.