How to Sell Quality

Qimpro Consultants was established in 1987, as the first dedicated Quality Consultancy firm in India. We represented the Juran Institute, in an era of ‘licence raj’, in India. For two years no organization showed any interest in ‘quality’. The response was that even our ‘seconds’ have a pent up demand – steel, garments, auto spare parts, etc. It was a very frustrating phase for Qimpro.

At an annual review meeting of the International Representatives in Paris, Dr J M Juran offered a very precise recommendation: SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF MANAGEMENT – Money! He advised me to assess a potential client’s company-wide Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ); and offer to halve it in two years!! Without capital investment!!! The COPQ at our first client, Tata Steel, was estimated to be 30% of total costs in 1989. Tata Steel went on to become the lowest cost steel producer in the world.

I am part of ASQ’s Influential Voices and this post is in response to ASQ’s Blog: A View from the Q.