Balancing quality and production targets is crucial. How can you navigate conflicting priorities effectively?

In my years in the FMCG industry, I have learned that: The business aims for profit and growth, which comes from sales revenue. Sales require a product and willing customers (who need a product with quality) and the consistent profit over time allows room for growth. So: 1. Unsold products are useless, regardless of production volume. 2. Quality expectations must always be met. Here’s a takeaway: Production and quality must be integrated, with shared rewards, recognition, and support. In other words, a win-win mindset is essential for balancing quality and production targets.

1.Set Clear Objectives: Define and communicate quality and production targets. 2.Prioritize Based on Impact: Assess which priority impacts overall goals more. 3. Identify Trade-offs: Understand the consequences of prioritizing one over the other. 4. Collaborative Planning: Involve both quality and production teams in decision-making. 5. Flexible Processes: Implement processes allowing priority adjustments. 6. Continuous Monitoring: Regularly track performance metrics. 7. Feedback Loop: Learn from outcomes to improve decisions. 8.Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks associated with priorities.

I don't see how Production and Quality goals can be conflicting; this issue seems very artificial. Company should establish its short, medium, and long-term objectives concerning costs, production, quality, safety, and others. Each department then sets its goals to achieve the company's objectives, with all areas contributing to all goals. There is no conflict but rather a partnership. Quality is a support area for Production and should contribute through training, fostering the site's quality culture, conducting Gemba walks, listening to and understanding production processes, and clarifying quality processes and standards.

This is probably my favourite type of situation. But first of all, If production are not sharing the same objectives the management system has to be redesigned. The reason why of production is to deliver good quality on time at the right cost, and quality is here to support and prevent risks. Then it is a question of compromise for both sides : eg : quality, based on data, agreeing to reduce control plan to the right level, while production agreeing to adjust scheduling, loading and for example implementing product quarantine while transport. Adjusting the shift pattern (lab and production) can also be a very good mean to find the right balance. There are never conflict between production and quality. Only ways to collaborate even more.

We have to clearly define our quality goals or CTQ ( Critical to quality) from a customer perspective. It is important that these CTQ are defined for each process in your entire customer life cycle as well as operational life cycle.

Quality gaols have to be defined for each process . We may aim for 6 Sigma levels , which are defects per million. However, based on maturity of organisation and processes, these quality goals need to be automated in system flow. This will ensure quality with production efficiency.

Balancing quality and production targets requires engaging your team effectively. Communicate the importance of both quality and meeting targets. Encourage open discussions to understand concerns and find solutions together. Delegate tasks based on strengths to maximize efficiency. Regularly review progress and make adjustments as needed to maintain balance.