h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Excellent article - wish I'd had it for reference when I took Principles of Quality through the Purchasing Management Association. I looked through my notes and found something I wrote on The Path to Total Quality. Its too long to put here, so I'll put it on my space. Its a good overview on the whole process.

In Canada we have an award system from the National Quality Institute, awarded each year, and some of our major companies have achieved these awards. A great many companies have strived or are struggling toward ISO designation. I was with a company through the end of the process, and subsequently worked within ISO standards. I'm here to tell you, if properly done and achieved, its a great place to work!

A first-rate summary of a complex but fascinating area of business. Out of many years' experience, here are a couple of observations:

1) As the entry says, it is vital to get buy-in from those involved, and getting them into brain-stroming sessions etc. is good for this. It's important, though, to recognise that those who are involved in a process will see some of the problems, but will also have blind spots. Internal assessment of processes needs to be balanced by some external viwes, or you'll only fix the problems you know about ... and they aren't always the "killers"!

2) When you look at each process within an organisation, identify the internal supplier and customer, and what's delivered. By doing this, you have identified the key item involved (the deliverable), who should assess it (the internal customer), and who is capable of improving it (the internal supplier). Now you can start thinking about how to improve that process ....

Absolutely! Like every new and old concept in the business world, it only works to near perfection if you insert your head in the problem, and not do it "pure". There are always things happening that will defy being put into the textbook scenerio, and you have to use your knowledge, hunches and creativity to make it work out. The best way to get the best solutions is involve the people who have first-hand knowledge, be they the person who operates the machine that makes the product, the supplier, the supervisor - whoever. Everyone has expertise in part of the whole - they have to be consulted, and drawn into task teams at every step of the process.

A note on brainstorming - and I'm a fan of the technique. There are no bad suggestions at the beginning of the session. Even "burn down the building" could channel into a discussion on fire safety. The wider cross-section of people you invite to a brainstorming session, the less likelyhood of blind spots. They are, of course, bound to happen. Interesting that you suggest outside views - we tend to keep problem solving closed to within the company or department - as if we don't want anyone to know we have a problem. Maybe one of the suggestions should be "bring in a consultant" or "invite Joe from manufacturing to another session", or "get our supplier involved".

More and more companies are beginning to recognize the concept of internal and external partners, and treating them as such. The supplier is no longer the enemy who just wants to sell you everything he can. Now he's part of the team - and encouraged to help improve process, as the company works with the supplier to improve his process. The customer can also be drawn into the process, and likely offer some valid suggestions. Interdepartmental teams work on common problems, and this breaks up traditional work groups, and fosters a spirit of cooperation between the departments. Great system - really hard to get going but I know first-hand - it works!