Many years ago, I was invited by New India Assurance to speak at a seminar in **Vadodara (erstwhile Baroda)** on ISO 9000.
The discussion was full of technical jargon, and I could see many people struggling with a simple question:
- "What does all this actually mean?"*
So I used an analogy everyone could relate to.
A halwai makes both **jalebi** and **seviyan**.
When making jalebi, he pours batter by hand into hot chashni (sugar syrup). The shape depends on his hand movement. If his mood, attention, or energy changes, the jalebi may look different.
When making seviyan, the same mixture is pushed through a die. Whether he is happy, tired, or distracted, the output remains remarkably consistent.
That is the difference between a personality-driven system and a process-driven system.
Over the years, I have seen many organizations rely heavily on individual brilliance. The problem is that people have good days and bad days.
Well-designed processes, however, help deliver consistent results regardless of who is performing the task.
The goal is not to replace people.
The goal is to build systems where quality does not depend entirely on personalities.
Because sustainable success is built on consistency, not heroics.
And perhaps that simple lesson became the foundation for many of the manufacturing concepts that followed—from quality assurance and zero defects to just-in-time production and modern supply chains.
- *What is one example where a strong process outperformed individual brilliance?**