Re: "Good enough"

Subject: Re: "Good enough"
From: "Michael West" <mbwest -at- bigpond -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 06:42:46 +1000

> My question for you folks is, how do you all cope with "good enough,"
> and how often does it show up?
>

"Good" compared to what? You haven't explained the sense in which you mean
"good enough."

If your manual meets whatever standard has been specified, it's as good as
it needs to be. Perhaps the question you're asking is "Should the standard
be higher?" -- and that's a question we should always ask. How astutely have
we identified and specified the requirements before asking the question
"Does what I have created meet the requirements?"

Quality is measured in terms of fitness for purpose. The business owner
needs to decide what that means, in business terms.

This is true of any manufactured product. What would a "perfect" car be, or
a "perfect" pair of shoes? Everyone has a different opinion.

If a written procedure accomplishes what its producer has decided it needs
to accomplish, then it is "good enough." Will everyone who uses it also find
it "good enough"? Probably not. But that's always been part of the deal.

--
Mike West


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