Taguchi methods: Some technical, cultural and pedagogical perspectives

It has been a decade since the term ‘Taguchi methods’ became part of the vocabulary of the quality profession in the West, particularly the U.S. The decade has also seen heated debates mounted by two distinct camps of professionals, one unfailingly extolling the new‐found virtues and power of Taguchi methods, while another persistently exposing the flaws and limitations inherent in them. Against this backdrop, this paper offers some pertinent perspectives on the subject for those who have to decide ‘to Taguchi, or not to Taguchi’ in personnel training and actual applications. Eventually, as for most issues, the middle ground seems to be the most sensible way out; however, the chosen course of action will be on much firmer ground if it is based on a good understanding of the interplay of factors underlying the controversies—‐technical, cultural and even pedagogical. For this reason such factors are highlighted in this paper in a non‐mathematical language for the benefit of decision makers and quality practitioners in industry who cannot afford to wade through the theoretical discourses in the literature, although academics may find some of the views expressed here by themselves subjects for further discussion and research.