WORLD – CLASS QUALITY: COMMENCE

The third geographical terrain is Commence the journey to attaining world-class quality using accurate geographical maps.

The three key accomplishments in this terrain should be:

• Successful completion of Bellwether quality improvement projects
• Building an infrastructure that will support the spread of the pilot experience
• Effective communication of results.

This is probably the most challenging terrain. Leaders and senior managers must invest substantial effort and time to ensure the foundation for performance excellence is in place. Quality Capsule #20.

The action points for leaders and senior managers are:

• Concurrently direct:
  • Execution of Bellwether quality improvement projects
  • Building of WCQ infrastructure
• Support Bellwether project teams with training inputs, improvement software, resources, and time
• Review progress of Bellwether projects and establish lessons learned
• Communicate tangible and intangible gains from Bellwether projects
• Organize a baseline assessment to measure the quality of management performance, using the on-line BestPrax Barometer
• Identify critical processes and organize measurement of their performance
• Direct the measurement of cost of poor quality, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and competitive performance. Quality Capsule #19. Quality Capsule #004.
• Direct the revision of systems for human resource management, supplier management, and information management
• Develop special WCQ processes for project management
• Communicate system updates

In all this, always check if the Quality Leadership Compass is pointing to the vision. Quality Capsule #21.

Additional Resources

• World-Class Quality: An Executive Handbook by Suresh Lulla.
  Copyright 2003: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited.
• Problem Solving Pro
• D-I-Y Self-assessment for Performance Excellence
• Turbocharging for Performance Excellence