How do you know quality when you see it?

17 Nov 2014 | Quality Control How do you know quality when you see it? Contact Us After describing what it is that Pro QC does the other day, an individual paused and asked how we know what quality is when we see it. And, that’s a very interesting question that many conclude is just too subjective to answer. Likely the most popular general definition is Deming’s idea of whether something is meeting or exceeding customer expectations. But, how can you tell? Our engineers would probably start talking about product specifications, testing requirements, tolerances and such. But, another broader assumption is that quality focused organizations produce quality products. But, how can you tell if an organization is quality focused? In partnering with companies of all sizes and various industries over the last thirty years, we have observed a few common traits within organizations that are quality focused and successful at meeting or exceeding their customers’ expectations. (We highlight some of these organizations as Client Stories in our quarterly newsletter. ) Our observations include: 1) Corporate culture: People talk about quality and are enthusiastic about it. They know it’s important. ASQ and Forbes Insights recently posted a must-read on this topic. “This first-of-its-kind global study offers actionable insight into how a more quality driven culture can accelerate business performance.” Culture of Quality: Accelerating Growth & Performance in the Enterprise 2) Long-term vision: Actions, such as investing in supplier performance and internal evaluation programs and/or audits, focus on long-term results and support sustainability and social responsibility. Forbes identified six reasons companies should embrace CSR that we also see as quality contributors: Innovation Cost savings Brand differentiation Long-term thinking Customer engagement Employee engagement 3) Proactive: When there are issues with production identified through QC evaluation or otherwise, the organization is proactive. Corrective actions are identified and implemented. Failures are considered a learning experience as long as they don’t keep occurring. “The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it.” ~Steven Covey 4) Committed: Quality and continuous improvement are a priority in good times and bad. “Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve products, services or processes. These efforts can seek ‘incremental’ improvement over time or ‘breakthrough’ improvement all at once.”) How do you know quality when you see it? Tags: auditcsrqcquality You May Also Like What Happens After a Failed Pre-Shipment Inspection? Pro QC Holds Special Seminar on Welding Inspection Standards in China to Strengthen Technical Expertise Pre-Shipment Inspection for Textile Workwear in Honduras Click Below to Improve Product Quality with Pro QC Contact us Get a Quote or Book a Service We will be happy to give you more information about our quality solutions. Please fill in this form to contact us. We will respond as soon as possible. If you would like to submit your CV, please click here. Contact Us by Email Contact Us by Phone North America +1 206 397 1145 Mexico +52 55 9990 7885 Colombia +57 601 9190355 United Kingdom +44 330 094 5589 France +33 9 7303 6784 Germany +49 15630 810151 Australia +61 2 8252 7691 India & South Asia +91 227 189 7407 Asia & Asia Pacific +886 2 2832 2990 We use cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse, you agree to their use. Customize settings Accept all Decline all Privacy policy Cookie policy × Cookie settings Please select the categories of cookies you would like to allow. Essential cookies are always enabled.