Functional views of quality

– Quality guru W. Edwards Deming said that “Quality begins with the intent, “which is fixed by management.” In other words, quality isn’t an accident. It starts with a goal, and then management develops a plan to reach that goal. But for different managers within your company, these quality goals can be pretty different. For example, the purchasing department might not measure quality the same way as other departments within your organization. Let’s take a look at the different ways quality is viewed, measured, and managed within the organization and how all these views must come together to meet your customers’ needs. We’ll start with the four different perspectives on quality within a typical company. First is the logistics department which consists of the transportation, warehousing, and distribution centers throughout your business. Their view of quality is to deliver the right order to the right place at the right time. They measure themselves on how well they fill customer orders and manage customer needs. Production facilities view and measure quality and customer returns due to defects. They manage their operations with a schedule that drives on-time output of quality goods. Now the purchasing department views quality in terms of their suppliers’ performance. They manage suppliers to continuously reduce defects and improve on-time delivery. And administrative departments throughout your company strive for timely and efficient processes. For example, it’s not unusual for people in accounting and human resources to apply Lean and Six Sigma techniques to improve their procedures. Notice how each of these quality goals are interconnected. The purchasing department ensures that the factory receives high quality material from its suppliers. The factory makes sure that quality output is produced on time so that the logistics network can then deliver on time. And everyone in the company works towards streamlining administrative practices. The common thread throughout these different departments is a focus on the customer. To meet your customers’ expectations, department goals must work together and align with the quality goals established by the management team. You should ask yourself how is quality measured in my department? Then take a look at how well it supports your company’s quality goals. This straightforward investigation will help you learn how quality is viewed in your organization. in your organization.