In the situation you describe above, it would be nearly impossible for the defect to appear in the first place. You wouldn't need to hide anything for years, be

In the situation you describe above, it would be nearly impossible for the defect to appear in the first place. You wouldn't need to hide anything for years, because it would never need to be fixed. Furthermore, when trust is placed in the system and blame not given to the individual, then the momentum is to improve the final quality, not to hide a defect. The problem would have been fixed as soon as it was realized without a need to hide, fear, or cover up. No one would be blamed and no one held responsible, and the problem may never have escalated. The system was poor, therefore the quality was poor. This was not an individual's fault. Quality is a systems problem, plain and simple.