Lessons from Green Qualitists

Quality is not new. Think of the craftsman who built the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Taj Mahal in Agra, and the Pyramids in Egypt. These are benchmarks for Green Quality. The craftsman worshipped Mother Earth.

Improvement is not new. Think of the Japanese factories, post World War 2, that made a habit of Continuous Improvement to be competitive in a global market. Initially in entertainment electronics. Thereafter, with fuel efficient automobiles. They nurtured a Green Culture. This culture was embraced by Maruti Suzuki, in India, in the 1980s.

Excellence is not new. Think, amongst others, of the Tata Group and the Aditya Birla Group, in India. They both started out as commodities manufacturers and currently render a variety of customer-driven services. The Green Values of the founders have been the common thread in each of the Groups.

I have often wondered how the Tatas and Birlas accomplished results that delivered Balanced Excellence – Satisfaction of: Customers; Employees; Society; and Mother Earth? Were they Green Qualitists by birth?

I understand they worked with basic tools of Micro Economics. Over the years these tools were adopted as Strategic Quality Tools. The three tools that have been mined from their vast businesses are:

1. Break-Even Point (to address COPQ)
2. Make or Buy (with a focus on Process Capability)
3. Critical Path Method (to address On-Time-Completion of projects).

Surprised? Now weave in Green Values and you will have a Eureka moment!