“Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics”: What Covid Can Teach Us in Manufacturing

In manufacturing, the goal is to segregate the bad parts from the good. Why isn’t this a COVID-19 strategy?


Statistics are the backbone of both industrial quality control and epidemiology. Engineering professionals use statistics to gain meaningful insight into how defects occur in production systems and where. There are similarities to the current Covid 19 pandemic and government response to it. Can government take a page from the manufacturing experience?

In each episode of End of the Line, manufacturing veteran Jim Anderton expresses his compelling and unique opinions about the state of the manufacturing sector. He shares his thoughts and insights to help engineering and manufacturing professionals navigate through the challenges of world events, the blending old with new technologies, evolving processes, gaps in skilled labour, in an effort to help maximize productivity of their daily operations.

Written by

James Anderton

Jim Anderton is the Director of Content for ENGINEERING.com. Mr. Anderton was formerly editor of Canadian Metalworking Magazine and has contributed to a wide range of print and on-line publications, including Design Engineering, Canadian Plastics, Service Station and Garage Management, Autovision, and the National Post. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and part design for a Tier One automotive supplier.