What gets measured...gets managed

Toyota, however, isn’t alone. In the current economy, everyone is expected to do more with less, which may seem diametrically opposed to a quality culture, but it isn’t. Organizations that embrace quality by putting the customer first and by striving for continual improvement will be able to do more with less while delivering quality. 

Continual improvement starts with a focus on process and process improvement, and it involves everyone in the value chain (company, vendors, and customers).

 

Four key assumptions must be embraced if an organization is to focus on process improvement and live a quality culture:  

• There is a root cause for each defect
• Defects are preventable
• It is better to prevent than correct defects
• Inspection and testing can be reduced for capable processes

 

Quality initiatives commonly deployed in an organization to focus on process improvement may include, but are not limited, to Six Sigma, TQM, lean manufacturing and design controls. Companies embracing quality initiatives may also deploy guidelines and standards such as GxP and ISO 9000 and ISO 9001. All of these elements are critical to process improvement; however, as the four key assumptions imply, the processes and procedures that need to be well documented, understood, deployed, and effective are those that determine the root cause of defects that do occur and how to prevent them in the first place. Therefore, best-practice nonconformance (NC) reporting, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), and complaint management must be in place and in use across the organization, not just in the quality assurance department.

 

Improvement that works

Improvement activities can fail for a number of reasons. Organizations may have extensive quality control measures in place, but not everyone lives and breathes them. Quality has not become a natural part of the culture. With the competitive pressures of today’s economy, companies cannot afford to have anything but the very best quality. In an action-oriented quality culture, this attitude and willingness must be developed among everyone if the organization is to thrive. 

 

With quality being everyone’s job, information about the company’s sales, customer needs, orders, finances, delivery of parts, productivity, efficiency, activities of different people and teams, and how one team affects another is vital. Employees make decisions about what to do based on information. Limited information means that decisions will not be made based on facts and therefore are more likely to introduce uncertainty into the organization and its processes. Clearly documented processes and procedures, regular training, and educational sessions are also important tools in keeping employees informed, ensuring factual decision making and teamwork.

 

A culture of quality requires teamwork. Teamwork is the natural result of working in an environment where people feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. When personal success on the job is defined by the success of something bigger, an organization has achieved a critical ingredient for a quality culture. The company’s welfare, and therefore the employees’ welfare, is also directly tied to that of its suppliers and customers. This is where the culture comes in; open communication, understanding the company’s values and goals, and access to information are the only ways to achieve success in the extended enterprise—the company, its suppliers, and its customers. When the extended enterprise is focused on process, and everyone understands their inputs and requirements as well as their effect on others, continual improvement can be achieved, and everyone wins. 

 

Philip Crosby said that, “Quality is the result of a carefully crafted cultural environment.” Corporate leadership must effectively communicate, and more important, demonstrate quality as an inherent value of the organization. To do that, the following attitudes must be internalized: 

• Quality does not take time; it saves time.
• Quality is not expensive; it is cost effective.
• What gets measured gets managed; empower employees with information.
• Documentation, training, and education save money and empower employees.
• Problems are opportunities for improvement. The only real problem is a hidden problem.

Focus on process

When problems do arise, focus on the process, not the individual. In the quality culture, focus is on the customer, and quality becomes everyone’s responsibility. Customer expectations are exceeded, and customers are delighted. 

 

Crafting a quality culture in your organization will also result in reduced risk, improved compliance, and lowered costs, improving your competitive edge and preparing your organization to address the challenges of the next decade and beyond.

 

Minimizing risk by focusing resources on potential problems before they occur will not only improve quality and end-user and customer satisfaction, it also will enable employees across the enterprise to thrive in a true quality culture.