Quality is a term that is often used but not always well-defined. It is something that we “know when we see it.” Quality generally refers to the degree of excellence or worth of something. It can describe products, services, processes, or people. A quality culture must be woven into an organization’s overall culture, resulting in organizational focus, alignment, and happy customers.

Some definitions of product quality include:

• Fitness for use: A product or service meets the needs of its users. (Joseph Juran)
• Conformance to requirements: A product or service meets its specifications. (Phillip Crosby)
• Freedom from defects: A product or service is free from errors and defects. (Phillip Crosby)
• Value for money: A product or service is worth its price.

All of these definitions are from a potential customer evaluating a product. Building quality often starts with the customer’s perspective. What does the customer want or need? What would delight the customer?

Many factors contribute to product quality. Some of the most important include:

• Design: The design of a product or service significantly impacts its quality. A well-designed product or service will likely meet customers’ needs. A design created with manufacturing in mind can be made at a low cost and with few defects.
• Materials: The materials used in a product or service also affect its quality. The right materials will be more likely to last longer and perform better.
• Craft: A well-made product or service will likely be defect-free and meet users’ needs.
• Quality control: Quality control processes ensure that products and services meet the required standards. These processes can include inspections, testing, and audits.
• Quality improvement: Quality improvement involves problem-solving. Improvements can include reducing defects, improving product performance and reliability, and reducing costs.

The factors above relate to quality as perceived by customers. Customers are critical “stakeholders” for any company; without them, there can be no business. Organizations have other stakeholders, however. Quality expectations (the degree of excellence or worth) will differ for each stakeholder.

• Corporate executives and shareholders: An organization with a quality culture is efficient, creates a valuable product, and receives minimal customer complaints. Perhaps most importantly, the organization makes a profit.
• Employees: Employees think the organization for whom the work is of high quality when their workplace is safe, they are treated with respect and paid fairly.
• Suppliers: A quality organization to a supplier is one for whom it is easy to do business, expectations are clear, and payment is prompt. 
• Government and communities: Neighbors expect a high-quality company to positively contribute to the community and comply with rules and regulations.

The needs of these stakeholders must be identified and met to support the customer and the business. 

How to embed Quality in a business

Everyone in the business must value quality and be skilled in the tools and systems that support it. These skills are often not taught in schools, so training should be created and available for those who need them. Understanding that quality is everyone’s responsibility is key and part of the corporate culture. Everyone should be looking for opportunities to improve and report issues when observed. Reporting issues and mistakes requires a positive mindset. When we punish those who make mistakes (even if the “punishment” is rewarding others who don’t make mistakes), we encourage people to avoid taking measured risks and, worse, hide mistakes and issues when they do happen.

Quality Planning, Control, and Improvement

Joseph Juran described the implementation of quality as a Trilogy. The three elements of the trilogy are Planning, Control, and Improvement.

Quality planning aligns the organization by setting the vision, values, strategy, and goals. The plan identifies the long-term goals and the significant obstacles given the vision and values of the organization. Long-term goals lead to a prioritized list of the most critical projects. With clear objectives understood throughout the business, people naturally align their activities and improvement efforts toward the organization’s goals. Prioritizing and aligning individual activities to the organization’s objectives is critical. The plan should be analyzed to determine how well it will meet the needs of each set of stakeholders. Tradeoffs may be needed and communicated to optimize the degree of satisfaction for all of the stakeholders.

Quality control is often not part of the “plan.” It is part of daily work life. ASQ defines quality control as “the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality” and “an evaluation to indicate needed corrective responses, the act of guiding … a process in which the variability is attributable to a constant system of chance causes.” The plan may need to be adjusted and re-communicated when a significant issue is identified.

Quality improvement is problem-solving that improves performance. It involves improving the product or service being created and the company’s management and systems to improve communication, alignment, and efficiency, thus reducing waste and frustration.

Tools and skills

The following list includes skills different people use based on their job responsibilities. For each skill area, there are procedures and strategies that, when followed, lead to quality for the organization. These are not static and must be continually improved to fit the needs and goals.

• Process control and analysis of variability: Control charts and statistical analysis separate special causes from common cause variation
• Crisis response: Responding to a business crisis efficiently with a pre-planned process.
• Internal auditing: Checks used to ensure compliance with internal processes and procedures
• Measurement systems: Analysis and calibration of measurement tools ensure that the measurements are sufficiently accurate and meaningful
• Supplier management and supplier auditing: Working with suppliers to ensure that products and services delivered meet technical and financial needs
• Inspection: Ensuring the quality of a product by comparing it to predetermined standards
• Reliability: Ensuring that a product will function correctly through the expected lifetime
• Software quality: Ensuring that software functions as expected, is efficient, and is resilient. ISO defines eight areas of a software quality model
• Project management: Understanding how to propose, plan, implement, manage, and evaluate projects. Managing and influencing people to get tasks completed.
• Managing for excellence: Continuous organizational improvement requires process and process improvement as much as manufacturing processes do. Without a defined process, an organization’s success depends on senior managers’ skills and personalities. Management changes (succession) become risky, and continual improvement is difficult.

The following is a list of quality skills that everyone should understand.

• Problem-solving: Everyone should have a basic understanding of how to solve the problems they face at work.
• Operational improvement: Always looking for improvements aligned with the organization’s goals and vision, which results in performance stabilization and improvement.

Benefits

An embedded quality culture is vital for many reasons. Some of the benefits include:

• Increased customer satisfaction: Customers are more likely to be satisfied with high-quality products and services.
• Reduced costs: Quality products and services can help to reduce costs by preventing defects and rework.
• Improved reputation: A company with a reputation for quality will be more likely to attract customers and investors.
• Increased profitability: Improving products and services increases profitability by increasing sales and reducing costs.

SA Partners are experts at improving the culture of quality in business and stabilizing business results. If you would like help, send me a message! I can help establish a connection.

Definition of Quality System

A Quality System is a network of processes, procedures, and tools that enable planning, control, and improvement of customers’ and other stakeholders’ satisfaction.

A culture of quality and obtaining the related skills and processes are not always easy to achieve, but it is always worth striving for. With focus, companies can improve their products and services, increase customer satisfaction, and achieve greater profitability.

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