Identifying quality within your business
We all know quality when we encounter it – whether it’s buying clothes, eating in a restaurant or being entertained – but the definition of ‘quality’ is a slippery beast to pin down. Looking to the Collins Dictionary on my shelf, this defines ‘quality’ with the following;
- A distinguishing characteristic or attribute, the basic character or nature of something
- Degree or standard of excellence
- Excellent or superior
- A feature of personality
- High social status
These are helpful to some degree, but aren’t very useful when it comes to defining the precise quality(ies) of your business, whether this is a product or service. Secondly, the definitions are used to describe more than one thing; either the attributes of things or people, or a degree of excellence or superiority. In addition, although you may be able to describe what your product or service are (i.e. ‘quality’ in the first sense, to describe what something is by its characteristics, attributes, nature), are you able to define whether or not your product or service is ‘quality’ in the second sense (i.e. degree of excellence). It is this second level description that is really tricky to pin down; and you will naturally rely on the feedback from others to find out. In the case of business, this is feedback from your customers and clients.
What "quality" do you offer?
If you can’t define the ‘quality’ of your product or service, beyond its physical form or content (features such as colour, size, material, power consumption are a few off the top of my head) then how can you really know what it is that you are offering? Turning my opening paragraph around on itself, from your customers or clients point of view, they automatically know if they are receiving good quality service or goods. Without knowing what your qualities are, how can you improve your product or service, price properly, correct faults and know what to shout about in your advertising?
A slippery beast
By its nature, the definition of quality changes according to context; think about the recent success of budget pound stores and supermarkets. What ‘quality’ do they offer? They are always busy, even though they may not sell top-end quality goods, but in context, their market offering works successfully. This approach is totally different from the high-end niche market, whether this is clothing, food or cars, where people will pay ‘top dollar’ because the quality they receive is (perceived to be) excellent. By getting an understanding of your customer needs form the outset, you will be able to provide them with exactly what they want and work to continually improve the quality of product or service.
Embed quality culture
Quality needs to be embedded from the outset, it needs to be the cultural norm. Harbour House Associates can help you establish the necessary quality culture in your business, whether this is through developing an internal “Quality Manual” which points the way forward for setting quality standards, achieving quality objectives and measures for doing so, through to preparing and implementing a full-blown, certified ISO9001 Quality Management System.
Not complex
It is important here also to say that your quality management needn’t be complex. In fact, setting up a simple system with simple, clear key objectives and ways to measure, monitor and achieve them is a really important part of any quality control, and something which Harbour House always strives to achieve.
'Quality is not an act, it’s a habit' (Aristotle)
'Quality means doing it right when no one is looking' (Henry Ford)
'Quality is something special beyond what is expected'
'Quality is the difference between being average and being number one'
'When you’re out of quality, you’re out of business'
“In the business environment, safety matters and quality counts”