As a full time auditor for the past six years for one of the large management system registrars, I start every interview, from production personnel to the CEO, with the question: “Given all of your job responsibilities at this company, what does the word ‘quality’ mean in your work?” 

Quality is not simply a theoretical idea about how to cut costs and make better products and services. Quality is about anticipating the consequences of errors, carelessness, and inefficiency, and putting processes in place to ensure they don’t occur.

Although quality managers are usually seen as the stewards of products that meet specifications and processes that don’t fail, what they’re really interested in is performance -- helping people and machines work together to make things easier, better, faster and less expensive. 

Problems cost money. The sooner a potential problem or error is anticipated and resolved, the less it will ultimately cost an organization. This includes direct costs like warranty claims and recalls, and in more serious terms, the long-term costs associated with lost business and damage to a company’s reputation.

Hazard- and risk-based approaches to product design and manufacturing may be required by some standards, but they are also simply good practice. These approaches require a more holistic view of the product, intended use, skillset of users, materials, environment, and end-of-life. 

Ideagen will host its annual seminar for customers in the Middle East next month.