Skilcraft pens are a government icon. The pens trace their origin to the Wagner Act, which established that the government would buy a certain amount of goods produced by blind workers. The specifications for the manufacture of these pens are exacting, but their performance has been unsurpassed for decades.
QUESTIONS:
- It is just a pen! Discuss why controlling is important for the government ballpoint pen.
- What type of control is used to ensure consistency in the production of these pens? What is the control mechanism?
- What type of standard did the government establish for its pens? Identify the specific standards mentioned in the article.
SOURCE: Y. Q. Mui, “Low-tech Skilcraft Pens Endure in a High-Tech World,” Washington Post (Retrievable online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/17/AR2010041701297.html)
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