This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Quality Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Quality Magazine logo
  • Home
  • The Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Edition
    • Archives
    • How To Guide
    • Industry News
    • Subscribe
  • Web Exclusives
    • Blogs
    • NDT Exclusives
    • Quality Exclusives
    • Vision & Sensors
  • New Products
  • Channels
    • Management
    • Measurement
    • NDT
    • Quality 101
    • Software
    • Test & Inspection
    • Vision & Sensors
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Electronics
    • Energy
    • Green Manufacturing
    • Medical
    • Plastics
  • More
    • Leadership 100 Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Professional of the Year
    • Job Board
    • White Papers
    • Quality Store
    • Software Downloads
    • eCards
    • Product Spotlights
    • Industry Links
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Market Research
  • Multimedia
    • eNewsletter
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Showcases
    • Image Galleries
    • Interactive Spotlights
  • Events
    • IMTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Quality Show
  • InfoCenters
    • Manage Quality, Risk & Compliance
    • Material Science Quality within Microscopy
    • Modern Quality Control with SPC
    • Process Control in Manufacturing
  • Directories
    • Buyers Guide
    • NDT Sourcebook
    • Take a Tour
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
Home » Customer-Focused Environment
Management

Customer-Focused Environment

Organizations must extend their definition of customers.

Face of Quality
August 15, 2019
Jim L. Smith
KEYWORDS continuous improvement / customer value / metrology / process control
Reprints
No Comments

I learned a long time ago that quality standards, issues and performance are goals people can rally around, unlike other goals like cost reduction or productivity improvement. Quality opens people up to change because the change is for a good reason. It connects them with the customer and taps the motive of pride in their work

This should not be a surprise to most of our readers but to create a true quality environment an organization must first focus on the customer. The purpose of all work and all improvement effort is to better serve the customer.

This should be recognized by everyone as fundamental to survival, but unfortunately some managers do not always do well with this concept, straightforward as it might seem. It is important, therefore, that managers ensure that there is a common definition of the basic words and phrases used in communicating what they hope to accomplish and why.

Quality means satisfying customers’ needs and expectations. It is this focus that is, in fact, the purpose of all work. However, it seems not everyone has the same understanding of the word quality, which results in mixed messages.

If the focus of a quality environment is to satisfy the needs and expectations of the customer, then the basic premise of all other organizational needs will be addressed: profitability, producing quality products and services, improving productivity, out-performing the competition, managing change, and ensuring employee involvement.

Another critical definition is required. Just as some people are apt to translate quality too narrowly, so too may we consider customers in the same restrictive sense. One of the single most powerful revelations in my quality education has been that customers are not only external but internal as well.

When our thoughts are extended to other departments and fellow employees as customers, significant positive changes occur in the way work is done or, in quality terms, in the way we deliver our outputs, products or services.

It is important to emphasize that satisfying the needs of the external customers must be paramount. As we strive to better meet the needs of internal customers, we must guard against diminishing external customer satisfaction. The challenge is to see our efforts as a total system designed to satisfy our traditional customers.

The pursuit, the focus, is toward but one end, which is to meet or exceed customer expectations. It is this oneness of purpose that links all activities toward a single end that makes the total quality environment.

The focus on internal customers and satisfying their needs toward improving external customer satisfaction has the potential to transform the organization from one of departmental boundaries and barriers into one of complementing rather than competing activities.

In this new environment information ceases to be hoarded as a power cache and is shared not only within the department but with others as well. Collaboration is common, competition is not; partnerships are sought, teamwork prevails; and continual improvement of the system is the goal.

The customer focus when supported by this single-system attitude requires a new generation of management that is long past due for some organizations. The traditional hierarchical organization restricts not only management but all within it.

The organization that is capable of multi-department, cross-functional teamwork on a daily basis is one where processes are seen as related parts of the total quality system. People working in such an environment better understand not only the organization’s mission, but their own role toward its accomplishment. Consequently, people are better able to fulfill their tasks and to improve on them.

Essentially, what is being described is the culture of an organization. More than any other responsibility of management, the culture it creates, supports, or maintains is critical to the ability of the organization to provide the desired products and services.

Too often, however, management gives little thought to the cultural tasks required to create and maintain the environment. Typically, when management’s attention is on aspects of the work environment, it is in response to conditions occurring because of management negligence. The recognition of internal customers, however, helps management address how best to satisfy the needs of direct reports, work associates, and other departments.

A true quality environment is driven by a focus on the customer. This purpose provides our organization direction as well as purpose.

subscribe to Quality Magazine

Recent Articles by Jim Smith

Growth

Excuses

Mentor Effectively, Part II

Thought Power

Mentor Effectively

Jimsmith_200

Jim L. Smith has more than 45 years of industry experience in operations, engineering, research and development and quality management. You can reach Jim at faceofquality@qualitymag.com

Related Articles

Pursuit of Quality

Quality is Evolutionary

Commitment and Discipline, Part II

Achieve Sustainable Results with Effective Problem-Solving Processes

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Mobile Help

More Videos

Popular Stories

Lean manufacturing

Lean In to 5S

Automation in manufacturing

Automated Metrology: Manufacturing Trend of the Future

RoyalPower

Royal Power Solutions Opens Innovation Center

ASNT

ASNT Annual Conference Brings NDT to Las Vegas

EdmundsED

Edmund Optics Announces 2019 Educational Award, Norman Edmund Award Recipients

Quality Leadership 100 Survey

Poll

Topics to Talk About

What topics would you like to see Quality cover more?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Quality Brain Teasers: Real World Challenges to Build Your Manufacturing Skills (ebook)

Quality Brain Teasers: Real World Challenges to Build Your Manufacturing Skills (ebook)

Assessments and Training in the following areas...

See More Products

SoftwareDownloads

Quality Magazine

Quality December 2019

2019 December

Check out the December 2019 edition of Quality: Quality 4.0 for medical device manufacturing, automated metrology, gage trends, plastics, materials analysis and much more!
View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • List Rental
    • Partners
    • Manufacturing Group
    • Polls
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey and Sample
  • Want More
    • Connect

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing