Quality is about standardization of your products and services, the guarantee that they will be delivered to the customer according to the expectations generated.Quality does not necessarily mean that one product will be better than another or even that it will last for an almost infinite time. The key word here is standardization and expectations.That famous "greasy spoon" in your neighborhood could be applying quality management like a big McDonald's chain? It is hard to imagine that, since the greasy spoon will deliver products that are not always the same:- It may end up with extra cheese in the sandwich- It may end up with cross-contamination in some foods (that famous hair from the boss)- A burger may end up frying more than it should (or do you believe they set a timer to know the exact time to remove the burger?)But yes, if the "Greasy Spoon" is always able to deliver the same snack, no matter how many customers arrive, it will be applying quality management in its business.What is Quality Management?Quality management is the sum of processes, techniques, and strategies aimed at ensuring that products and services are delivered according to expectations.It is divided into two basic supports: quality assurance and quality improvement.Through the first, the company designs a series of activities aimed at certifying that its final product is in conformity with standards and customer requirements.The second support deals with the frequent processes through which a brand remains in constant improvement.This involves everything from service routines to production and after-sales.Managing quality requires a continuous effort to ensure that minimum standards are met and, whenever possible, improved.What is the objective of Quality Management?Imagine that you are in charge of a shoe brand recognized for having beautiful and comfortable products.For unknown reasons, all of a sudden, sales that were going great begin to fall.Customers, who were once satisfied, begin to complain more and more often and, naturally, your reputation starts to be questioned.It is not hard to conclude what will happen if no action is taken to reverse this situation, right?In this case, quality management serves precisely to ensure that the attributes of products and services are maintained.In this way, it serves as an essential element for maintaining predictability in sales.After all, when quality is as expected, the tendency is for business results to also be stable.What are the benefits of investing in quality management?It ensures compliance with regulations and the provision of products and services in the most efficient way in terms of costs and resources, creating room for expansion, growth, and profit.As additional benefits, we have:Better definition and control of processesReduction of wasteError preventionCost reductionEase in identifying growth opportunitiesMore team involvement in a motivational cycleSatisfied customers and, at the highest stage of quality management, delighted customers.The 7 pillars of Quality ManagementCustomer FocusThe main focus of quality management is to meet customer desires and strive to exceed their expectations.Sustainable results are only achieved when an organization attracts and retains the trust of its consumers, partners, and stakeholders.Each aspect of interaction with the public should be understood as an opportunity to create more value for the customer.Therefore, understanding the current and future needs of all interested parties contributes directly to a company’s success, whether it is large or not.Thus, according to ISO, the customer focus principle brings the following benefits:Greater value for the customerLoyaltyImprovement of business routinesImproved reputation of the organizationExpansion of the customer baseIncrease in revenue and market share.2. LeadershipTrue leaders establish unity of purpose and direction and are able to motivate people to achieve their company’s quality goals.In this way, they create the conditions to align strategies, policies, processes, and resources to achieve their objectives.A business that bases its quality on leadership reaps benefits such as:Greater effectiveness (and efficiency) in achieving qualityBetter coordination of processesMore fluid communication between levels and functionsOverall improvement in delivering the desired results.To achieve these effects, leaders need to communicate the mission, vision, strategy, policies, and processes throughout all actions.From the most operational employees to top management, everyone must be involved so that values are shared.In this regard, it is the leadership’s role to inspire, encourage, and recognize each person’s contribution, no matter how simple it may be.3. Continuous ImprovementSuccessful organizations have a continuous focus on improving their processes.It is widely agreed that the pursuit of improvement is essential to maintaining good performance levels and reacting appropriately to changes.In this way, the company that invests in constant progress creates favorable internal and external conditions and, thus, new opportunities tend to arise.Among the main benefits of this pillar of quality management, the following stand out:Better performance in the development of processes at the organizational level, increasing customer satisfactionThe company develops mechanisms to investigate the root cause of its problems, being able to prevent them and adopt corrective measuresImproved ability to anticipate and respond to internal and external risks and opportunitiesA more conducive environment for innovation.These results will be achieved provided that leadership brings the concepts of quality management to all levels of the organization.Leaders must take responsibility for educating and training people in all positions to apply tools and methodologies aimed at improvement objectives.4. Decision Based on FactsDecisions based on the analysis and evaluation of data and information are more likely to produce good results.Principally because, today, data is a true asset for companies.In addition, decision-making can be difficult because it involves some uncertainty.Usually, several types and sources of inputs are at stake and, in many cases, there is a strong subjective component that makes things even more complex.Therefore, it is important to understand what the cause-and-effect relationships involved in a deliberation are, no matter how insignificant it may seem.Thus, basing decisions always on facts and concrete data is the best way to move closer to quality.This brings benefits such as:Improvement in decision-making processesBetter assessment of process performance and the ability to achieve objectivesBetter operational effectivenessPossibility of revising and changing opinions and decisionsGreater ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of previous choices.5. Relationship ManagementTo achieve sustainable results, it is necessary to manage relationships with suppliers, supporters, and the internal public itself.In the corporate context, stakeholders influence a company's performance.Thus, predictable results are more likely to be achieved when the company coordinates relationships with everyone involved.That is why managing relationships with your supplier and partner networks is essential for success in quality management, bringing advantages such as:Better performance of the organization and its stakeholders, responding to the opportunities and constraints related to each of themCommon understanding of objectives and values among the people involvedGreater ability to create value for people by sharing resources and experiencesBetter management of quality-related risksWell-managed supply chain and improved provision of goods and services.6. Systems ThinkingCompanies are like living organisms.Therefore, the well-being of the “body” depends on the proper functioning of each of its “organs”.In this way, it is necessary to adopt a systems approach in quality management, the best way to ensure that interrelated processes are identified.From there, they can be understood and managed in order to improve the performance of the organization as a whole.With this, the following competitive advantages are perceived:People begin to adopt the company's goals as their ownCommunication processes flow betterGood results become shared, no longer the merit of just a fewIt becomes harder for the competition to compete, since employees are aligned toward the same purpose.7. Process ManagementConsistent and predictable results are achieved when activities are managed as if they were interrelated processes, making the company function as a coherent whole.After all, the quality management system consists of coordinating linked and interdependent processes.Understanding how results are produced through this method allows an organization to optimize it and improve its performance.As advantages obtained from process management, we have:Improved ability to focus efforts on key processes and opportunities for progressConsistent and predictable results through a system of aligned processesOptimized performance through process management, efficient use of resources, and reduced cross-functional barriersEnabling the organization to give stakeholders confidence regarding the consistency of its purposes.Exercises1) Map your house cleaning processes as well as the products needed to perform all the tasks
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