jkSteinway’s reputation among consumers is unparalleled in the piano industry. The quality of Steinway pianos is directly attributed to the craftsmanship of the piano by skilled artisans and tradesmen. However, Steinway is also a corporation that must provide returns on investment, and it has recently embraced automation in its production. There is no evidence that this compromises quality. In fact, automation might actually improve quality through process standardization and eliminating human error. The question is whether the benefits of automation outweigh the potential reputational risks of automation.

This brief examines the following issues:

1. The use of automated equipment by Steinway 2. The costs/benefits of automated equipment given Steinway’s

Discussion

The concept of Total Quality Management recognizes the importance of customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management is not simply the result of process design, purchasing, benchmarking, problem-solving tools, product design and other administrative and technical factors. Indeed, customer satisfaction represents the primary target of Total Quality Management, and these factors are only intended to facilitate the mission to achieve customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction also involves more than experience with the product. Customer satisfaction includes psychological impressions. Atmosphere, image and aesthetics influence the psychological experience between the customer and the product. These factors are less tangible than others related to Total Quality Management, particularly those involved in the production process.

However, in the case of Steinway, atmosphere, image and aesthetics relate directly to the impression consumers have with the product. With this in mind, one must question Steinway’s commitment to the automation process. Several questions must be resolved:

1. Does this process...