How quality transforms today's workplaces
The word quality might conjure up a myriad of different meanings in the workplace. Perhaps that’s because it impacts all aspects of a business – productivity, reputation, profitability, culture and employee morale. Plus, it’s the very foundation of customer satisfaction. If customers aren’t happy with the end product or service, it’s a losing equation. Companies with high quality levels are those constantly pushing to make improvements. They are pursuing the highest standards internally in an effort to manufacture products free from defects or deficiencies. We’ll investigate how quality has transformed through time, from focusing simply on craftsmanship to now encompassing supply chain, waste management, employee training and more. We’ll also share tips on what your organization can do to maintain the highest quality control standards in manufacturing today.
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How quality became the epicenter of manufacturing
Flip open a trade magazine or do a quick search online and you’ll see news story after news story about manufacturers receiving coveted quality awards from customers or industry organizations. There’s a reason quality garners headlines – it signifies a standard of excellence for manufacturers – a ‘badge of honor’ and proof that a company is meeting or exceeding expectations.
But, are too many companies losing their focus on quality initiatives? According to Chartered Quality Institute research, only half of business leaders said quality was at the heart of their organization and only one in four report providing a "very consistent" level of quality. Even fewer (16 percent) reported that their quality efforts are leading the market. With competition in a global market increasing and consumer loyalty waning, quality must be center stage to set a company apart.
Decades ago, before products were mass produced, quality was rooted in the inspection and evaluation of the craftmanship of a finished product (often times in a scenario where you personally knew who was building your product). But fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, and quality in the workplace morphed into a much more comprehensive initiative as factories and mass production were born.
The initial implementation of quality management was mastered in Japan before being adopted in the western world, and it transformed how we conduct business to this day. It ended the era where manufacturers sought efficiency over craftsmanship and led to a shift post-WW2 in the U.S. when quality management systems were implemented with the goal of producing higher quality products.
Setting quality control standards
Quality control is vital for business success. It enables you to regularly deliver a specific product and experience that meets customer expectation – not just once but time and time again. The founder of modern quality control, W. Edwards Deming, said the answer to true quality is in the process itself – if you create a suitable process that can be followed by employees, consistently measure your results and make improvements as necessary, you’ll grow and elevate to a constant system of continuous improvement, always producing higher quality products and services.
It’s not hard to disagree with the notion that poorly designed processes will negatively impact business. You risk defective products, more turnover, lower quality workmanship, a mediocre culture or a combination of all of the above. The truth is that companies don’t win with a culture where quality control standards are not fully embraced. You must have a high-quality culture in order to enhance customer satisfaction, profits, employee morale and operational performance. Plus, you ultimately save money because, as one expert put it, “getting things done right the first time always costs less.”
By creating best practices aimed at preventing errors during the manufacturing process, you streamline production and protect quality at every step.
The ISO 9000 family is perhaps the most well-known quality management program as it ensures processes and procedures for constant improvement are established and carried out. The premise is to find the BEST way of doing something so operations can be streamlined, efficiencies can be increased and an organization can turn out the highest quality product and services possible. So, while just the words ‘quality control standards’ might make heads turn and eyes roll backwards because it seems a daunting undertaking, it’s paramount for long-term success. With the right team and proper planning, this important endeavor can be done in a way that is not too disruptive to business. A great resource for how to get started can be found on the ISO website.
Employee engagement’s impact on quality
Employee engagement has undoubtedly been a topic of conversation as companies adopt new technologies and management strategies to drive a culture of high performance. The companies seeing real change are going beyond typical employee engagement surveys and driving a culture of worker engagement at all levels through more consistent touch points, suggests the Harvard Business Review. They are focused on long term worker powered strategies and experiences designed to drive retention and increase satisfaction.
Dan Ariely is one of the world’s leading behavioral scientists, an author and frequent TED speaker. He breaks down the connection between psychology and business practice for today’s companies looking to motivate employees – saying, “people want to feel like they are contributing”…”They want a sense of purpose, a sense that work itself has an impact.” Ensuring your employees feel empowered and part of something bigger will ultimately drive higher quality in the organization. And there is proof that it works.
Gallup says companies in the top quartile in EE vs. the bottom quartile outperform in quality defects by 41 percent, 21 percent in productivity and 22 percent in profitability. According to an article in Harvard Business Review, a chief scientist at Gallup explains that those who are more engaged at work are ‘more attentive and vigilant. They look out for the needs of their coworkers and the overall enterprise, because they personally ‘own’ the result of their work and that of the organization.” This positive mindset is sure to impact quality.
Using technology to enhance quality
The digital age offers incredible opportunities both internally and externally for today’s manufacturers to enhance quality standards.
Implementing new technologies that automate processes creates efficiencies in the entire cycle – which helps enhance productivity and ultimately increase profits. As innovation and technology advancements are happening at warp speed, it’s more crucial than ever that manufacturers follow lean manufacturing processes to avoid excess stock, quality issues, production problems, downtime or safety concerns. Some research suggests that this can result in efficiency gains in the realm of 10 to 30 percent.
Having more accuracy in the manufacturing process also minimizes errors and downtime and allows for the repurposing of resources to other areas within an organization. In addition, increases to quality control technology are necessary if you want to see higher productivity. You have to shift from utilizing general inspections as a measurement to reviewing data enabled by technology to enable reductions in waste, more sophisticated communication and real time changes. For example, Corvex has an IoT Platform that supports leading edge, quality processes based on real-time information. Its goal is to engage everyone in the quality process with a robust combination of IoT, behavioral science and strong process. With Corvex, companies can capture defects before they even happen because there is incentive for workers to report issues in the moment. They can resolve problems in real time and allow for continuous feedback loops. This type of technology can also enable micro-auditing and perpetual inventory processes that reward employees for real-time reporting.
Ongoing quality training crucial
Continuous improvement in the workplace and in your goods and services can’t happen without proper training. And skilled workers play a critical role in the innovation and success of a company even though industries everywhere report serious shortages. Part of this is because workers desperately need higher levels of training to keep up with technology, and that responsibility falls directly on today’s manufacturers. Employees need to be well versed as smarter systems and processes like plant software are introduced, therefore companies should invest in robust training tools - technology alone cannot be responsible for creating a smarter environment. Training must be used to help fill skills gaps, teach best practices, enhance technical prowess and improve efficiency.
As digital technologies evolve, the skills required will progress and should be boosted on a continuous basis – there is no one and done with regard to quality training. This important step will help the team filter out platforms or initiatives that may not work and build out those that will.
Online training that allows employees to learn at their own pace and requires less time away from work can also result in more satisfied employees. So consider videos, webinars, gamification, live Q&As and support networks that enable engagement, goal setting, incentives and interaction with other employees. These are great strategic tools for creating worker-powered opportunities that drive real, bottom-line change.
With a proper training program centered around quality, you’ll notice that employees need less supervision, have fewer accidents, increase their productivity and are more engaged in their career development.
Mastering quality metrics
An organization that has high quality ratings is much more likely to reap a number of benefits, including retaining more long-term customers, repeat orders, less turn over, less warranty claims and even more sales. While there are literally dozens of benchmarks manufacturers could monitor to help track quality in the workplace, here’s a few that will help drive your bottomline.
Engineering Change Order (ECO) tracking – This helps track any adjustments to routing, workflow or change requests. Paying attention to this stat will provide you with an overview of how well products are being managed in a given facility. It can also show you immediately if there is an underlying quality issue in design or an issue with a channel partner.
The truth of the matter is that quality impacts everything and everyone in an organization. The end product is just one small element impacted by quality – the employee, the processes used, how conflict is resolved, the machinery and manufacturing process, it all impacts your quality.
(INSERT HOTLINKS FOR THE BELOW)
- Quality at the epicenter of manufacturing
- Setting quality control standards
- Employee engagement’s impact on quality
- Using technology to enhance quality
- Ongoing quality training crucial
- Mastering quality metrics
How quality became the epicenter of manufacturing
Flip open a trade magazine or do a quick search online and you’ll see news story after news story about manufacturers receiving coveted quality awards from customers or industry organizations. There’s a reason quality garners headlines – it signifies a standard of excellence for manufacturers – a ‘badge of honor’ and proof that a company is meeting or exceeding expectations.
But, are too many companies losing their focus on quality initiatives? According to Chartered Quality Institute research, only half of business leaders said quality was at the heart of their organization and only one in four report providing a "very consistent" level of quality. Even fewer (16 percent) reported that their quality efforts are leading the market. With competition in a global market increasing and consumer loyalty waning, quality must be center stage to set a company apart.
Decades ago, before products were mass produced, quality was rooted in the inspection and evaluation of the craftmanship of a finished product (often times in a scenario where you personally knew who was building your product). But fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, and quality in the workplace morphed into a much more comprehensive initiative as factories and mass production were born.
The initial implementation of quality management was mastered in Japan before being adopted in the western world, and it transformed how we conduct business to this day. It ended the era where manufacturers sought efficiency over craftsmanship and led to a shift post-WW2 in the U.S. when quality management systems were implemented with the goal of producing higher quality products.
Setting quality control standards
Quality control is vital for business success. It enables you to regularly deliver a specific product and experience that meets customer expectation – not just once but time and time again. The founder of modern quality control, W. Edwards Deming, said the answer to true quality is in the process itself – if you create a suitable process that can be followed by employees, consistently measure your results and make improvements as necessary, you’ll grow and elevate to a constant system of continuous improvement, always producing higher quality products and services.
It’s not hard to disagree with the notion that poorly designed processes will negatively impact business. You risk defective products, more turnover, lower quality workmanship, a mediocre culture or a combination of all of the above. The truth is that companies don’t win with a culture where quality control standards are not fully embraced. You must have a high-quality culture in order to enhance customer satisfaction, profits, employee morale and operational performance. Plus, you ultimately save money because, as one expert put it, “getting things done right the first time always costs less.”
By creating best practices aimed at preventing errors during the manufacturing process, you streamline production and protect quality at every step.
The ISO 9000 family is perhaps the most well-known quality management program as it ensures processes and procedures for constant improvement are established and carried out. The premise is to find the BEST way of doing something so operations can be streamlined, efficiencies can be increased and an organization can turn out the highest quality product and services possible. So, while just the words ‘quality control standards’ might make heads turn and eyes roll backwards because it seems a daunting undertaking, it’s paramount for long-term success. With the right team and proper planning, this important endeavor can be done in a way that is not too disruptive to business. A great resource for how to get started can be found on the ISO website.
Employee engagement’s impact on quality
Employee engagement has undoubtedly been a topic of conversation as companies adopt new technologies and management strategies to drive a culture of high performance. The companies seeing real change are going beyond typical employee engagement surveys and driving a culture of worker engagement at all levels through more consistent touch points, suggests the Harvard Business Review. They are focused on long term worker powered strategies and experiences designed to drive retention and increase satisfaction.
Dan Ariely is one of the world’s leading behavioral scientists, an author and frequent TED speaker. He breaks down the connection between psychology and business practice for today’s companies looking to motivate employees – saying, “people want to feel like they are contributing”…”They want a sense of purpose, a sense that work itself has an impact.” Ensuring your employees feel empowered and part of something bigger will ultimately drive higher quality in the organization. And there is proof that it works.
Gallup says companies in the top quartile in EE vs. the bottom quartile outperform in quality defects by 41 percent, 21 percent in productivity and 22 percent in profitability. According to an article in Harvard Business Review, a chief scientist at Gallup explains that those who are more engaged at work are ‘more attentive and vigilant. They look out for the needs of their coworkers and the overall enterprise, because they personally ‘own’ the result of their work and that of the organization.” This positive mindset is sure to impact quality.
Using technology to enhance quality
The digital age offers incredible opportunities both internally and externally for today’s manufacturers to enhance quality standards.
Implementing new technologies that automate processes creates efficiencies in the entire cycle – which helps enhance productivity and ultimately increase profits. As innovation and technology advancements are happening at warp speed, it’s more crucial than ever that manufacturers follow lean manufacturing processes to avoid excess stock, quality issues, production problems, downtime or safety concerns. Some research suggests that this can result in efficiency gains in the realm of 10 to 30 percent.
Having more accuracy in the manufacturing process also minimizes errors and downtime and allows for the repurposing of resources to other areas within an organization. In addition, increases to quality control technology are necessary if you want to see higher productivity. You have to shift from utilizing general inspections as a measurement to reviewing data enabled by technology to enable reductions in waste, more sophisticated communication and real time changes. For example, Corvex has an IoT Platform that supports leading edge, quality processes based on real-time information. Its goal is to engage everyone in the quality process with a robust combination of IoT, behavioral science and strong process. With Corvex, companies can capture defects before they even happen because there is incentive for workers to report issues in the moment. They can resolve problems in real time and allow for continuous feedback loops. This type of technology can also enable micro-auditing and perpetual inventory processes that reward employees for real-time reporting.
Ongoing quality training crucial
Continuous improvement in the workplace and in your goods and services can’t happen without proper training. And skilled workers play a critical role in the innovation and success of a company even though industries everywhere report serious shortages. Part of this is because workers desperately need higher levels of training to keep up with technology, and that responsibility falls directly on today’s manufacturers. Employees need to be well versed as smarter systems and processes like plant software are introduced, therefore companies should invest in robust training tools - technology alone cannot be responsible for creating a smarter environment. Training must be used to help fill skills gaps, teach best practices, enhance technical prowess and improve efficiency.
As digital technologies evolve, the skills required will progress and should be boosted on a continuous basis – there is no one and done with regard to quality training. This important step will help the team filter out platforms or initiatives that may not work and build out those that will.
Online training that allows employees to learn at their own pace and requires less time away from work can also result in more satisfied employees. So consider videos, webinars, gamification, live Q&As and support networks that enable engagement, goal setting, incentives and interaction with other employees. These are great strategic tools for creating worker-powered opportunities that drive real, bottom-line change.
With a proper training program centered around quality, you’ll notice that employees need less supervision, have fewer accidents, increase their productivity and are more engaged in their career development.
Mastering quality metrics
An organization that has high quality ratings is much more likely to reap a number of benefits, including retaining more long-term customers, repeat orders, less turn over, less warranty claims and even more sales. While there are literally dozens of benchmarks manufacturers could monitor to help track quality in the workplace, here’s a few that will help drive your bottomline.
Engineering Change Order (ECO) tracking – This helps track any adjustments to routing, workflow or change requests. Paying attention to this stat will provide you with an overview of how well products are being managed in a given facility. It can also show you immediately if there is an underlying quality issue in design or an issue with a channel partner.
- Warranty claims and return authorizations – A good way to see how customers think about the quality of your products is to look at the number of returns and warranty claims you have and cross compare to not only your own internal benchmarks and past month’s claims but to your competitors as well. High rates within an organization should be viewed as an immediate red flag that there are possible issues with quality. Analyzing this monthly can help determine the root issue so it can be addressed.
- Overall equipment effectiveness – If you want to identify the percent of manufacturing time that is truly productive, look no further than the OEE, which is referred to as a gold standard for benchmarking. This measurement analyzes workflow and actual machine performance. Experts suggest looking at availability, performance and quality to improve the productivity of your equipment.
The truth of the matter is that quality impacts everything and everyone in an organization. The end product is just one small element impacted by quality – the employee, the processes used, how conflict is resolved, the machinery and manufacturing process, it all impacts your quality.