<Ol> <Li> Advanced statistical methods of quality control, pioneered by the American mathematician William Edwards Deming, whom his home country initially ignored . Quality control turned Japanese factories into world leaders in cost - effectiveness and production quality . </Li> <Li> Industrial robots on the factory floor, introduced in the late 1970s . These computer - controlled welding arms and grippers could perform simple tasks such as attaching a car door quickly and flawlessly 24 hours a day . This too cut costs and improved speed . </Li> </Ol> <Li> Advanced statistical methods of quality control, pioneered by the American mathematician William Edwards Deming, whom his home country initially ignored . Quality control turned Japanese factories into world leaders in cost - effectiveness and production quality . </Li> <Li> Industrial robots on the factory floor, introduced in the late 1970s . These computer - controlled welding arms and grippers could perform simple tasks such as attaching a car door quickly and flawlessly 24 hours a day . This too cut costs and improved speed . </Li> <P> Some speculation as to the future of the factory includes scenarios with rapid prototyping, nanotechnology, and orbital zero - gravity facilities . </P>

Why is a manufacturing plant called a plant