by Michael Cronin

Created on: October 28, 2010

“They don’t make ‘em like they used to…” is a phrase commonly uttered in reference to the quality of a product inspired by mass production. The days of a craftsman that learned a skill passed down from a family member’s business or by way of an apprenticeship are nearly gone for good. Mass production has streamlined the process of high volume low cost output of many manufactured goods. As companies are forced to compete for their share of the marketplace, the consumer has dictated that cost is king.

Mass production involves the combination of many workers each performing specific tasks that lead to the completion of a finished product. As the term suggests, mass production produces a large number of products and at a more cost effective rate than an individual craftsman would producing one product individually from start to finish. More cost effective production combined with an increased output results in a lower cost to the consumer. The process allows non-craftsman to concentrate on performing individual tasks as opposed to employing the high cost of a craftsman throughout each stage of the process. The tradeoff typically results in a lowered sense of pride and accountability in the products that are produced.

Consumers used to demand a higher level of quality in the products that they purchased. Because the consumer has dictated that cost is king, the marketplace has responded by mass producing lower quality items. The consumer accepts the tradeoff (for example) when an item that used to cost $50 now only costs $10 in exchange for the understanding that when that cheaper product no longer works, they will just go out and replace it with another cheap product (that will ultimately fail). The result is a high output of lower cost items and an increase in the cost of better quality items that now have a lower portion of the marketplace.

Negative effects of mass production become obvious as low-skilled jobs are moved overseas where labor costs are lower. In addition, the production standards and working conditions are often much lower in countries that welcome outsourcing from an overseas business. The result of this is a high rate of defects in products (such as electronics) that are assembled in places that are not optimum for assembly of sensitive electronic components. The marketplace has proven that consumers prefer cheaper items that are easily replaceable as opposed to a higher price tag for better quality items.

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