Quality Versus Quantity

Issues to consider when deciding how good of a job you should do

May 17, 2021

2 min read

While you should generally do the highest-quality repair possible, it is not always expedient or practical. Some issues to consider when deciding just how good of a job to do include:

Production scheduling. They really need that shipment to be on the truck arriving in less than two hours. A “get by” repair will take 10 minutes, a “perfect” repair would be completed just about the time the truck pulls out.
Availability of parts. With some “home brew” fabrication, the repair can be completed today. To get the correct parts overnighted costs $300 and a lost day of production.
Available skill. Nobody at the plant has been trained on this equipment, and this repair is not covered in the manual or on video. Do the best job, or do the best you can?
Various cost tradeoffs. The profit on what this machine produces is $800/day; a complete repair will cost $1,500 extra.

These considerations don’t excuse sloppy work — they just lower the bar a little.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.