The challenge of quality in India

During my career, I have seen many organizations and business leaders frustrated by a lack of real success and impact with their quality programs. Great enthusiasm surrounding initial implementations eventually turns to disappointment two or three years later, when leaders wonder what was the result of their investment. How has the business improved? Why haven’t the big dials moved?

All too often quality is viewed as Lean, Six Sigma, ISO or a myriad of other concepts or programs that make their way into organizations with great splash and much fizzle. But these are primarily improvement methods, not a systemic approach to ‘organizational excellence’. To start with the solution, without thoroughly understanding the broader needs of the organization, is the tail wagging the dog. No quality method is a silver bullet. No quality method addresses the organization as a system and the need to drive systemic quality and service excellence.

So what should an organization do, and where should it start? Leaders must first see the organization, and quality’s role, as a systems approach. quality isn’t something you throw at a problem. It is a carefully executed plan that helps the entire organization function successfully.

Five recommendations to make quality and excellence pay for you

In my view, there are five key elements to successfully implement quality and Organizational Excellence in a systemic way.

1. There should be an overarching approach to quality…a plan. Where and how will the theory and tools of quality be applied? How will they be used to drive

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