The decision to change the quality control and improvement measurement will impact the process level, directly affecting the product. According to Cook (2009), “NASA must own the intellectual property rather than use a proprietary design developed and owned by a contractor”. It means that they strive to have autonomy in their work and take control over their invention. This is the first step of owning development for their intellectual property. It allows them to create their own rules and follow them instead of adjusting to the contractor’s design. Another significant fact is NASA’s movement towards innovations and “implementations of modern management practices and an all-digital model and manufacturing process” Cook (2009). Thus, they allow each employee to create and take part in the development process equally regardless of their level of hierarchy. Their refusal to implement the tested management concept shows their movement in the new direction and the will to build a new structure of engineering work.
Still, the most critical component of NASA that should be developed is people. No matter what revolutionary path the organization chooses or what strategies it develops to avoid errors and invent new things, it is impossible without people. Alongside the system, people need to develop themselves, evolve their mindset, and broaden their way of thinking. In the right atmosphere of the organization, people will be easily motivated and will have a clear understanding of the company’s goals and the benefits from the possible success.
The changes are inevitable when the organization is striving to grow and improve everything that has already existed. To own the development is to get freedom from someone else’s instruction and gain the ability to work independently towards goals that the team itself creates. However, not everyone can handle freedom because sometimes it can be challenging. After all, along with freedom comes responsibility. From the specific moment, everyone is responsible for the success or failure of the team. Since each group member contributes and participates in creation and innovation, it might feel like pressure, and this intensity can scare some people away. At the same time, it can be an excellent process for the natural section.
That is one of the disadvantages of the system change because not everyone is ready to get serious about that and let go of the simple working process. It is easy to be sceptical about someone else’s decisions and actions when they are not a part of the process, but it takes courage to speak openly in the discussion. However, the most qualified members of the crew contribute to the work and help to continue changes inside the system and the subsequent development.
Albeit every model might have its advantages and disadvantages and sometimes the organization fails to implement it. Six sigma is a powerful and proven method that has served successfully through times, but even six sigma might have its weak spots. The factor that cannot be avoided no matter how well organized the system can be is the human factor. Members of the groups sometimes inevitably have arguments, different opinions on the situation and may disagree on some subject. Even when the team comes to the final decision together, they can wrongly analyse the current data and make wrong measurements that will affect the work on improvement and eventually, it might fail.
Reference
Cook, A., S. (2009). Owning the Product and the Process. ASK Magazine.