Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Management Systems (QMS) are critical components in many industries, particularly those where product or service quality directly impacts safety, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. You’ll have some form of Quality Management or controls in the product or delivery side of your business, chances are it’s something you’ve overlooked in the business side of the business.
Twenty seven years ago, I stepped into my working life as an Apprentice Mechanical Engineer. I had to be trained, educated and guided to a level of competence before I was given the responsibility of setting equipment which would then manufacture components for the Aerospace industry. The tolerance between acceptable and defect on the components could be as small as 0.00001 of an inch.
Given the importance of the role of the componentry, never mind the value of the raw material, it was essential that the finished products were compliant. You’ll know that it’s not a case of just pressing start and hoping that the product at the end meets the requirements. All through the production cycle, and before, checks and measurements are made to make sure that the product remains on track.
Each checkpoint offers feedback on what’s going well and what needs to change. Are the tools calibrated correctly, all working from the same start point? Are the cutting tips sharp and efficient? Are the feeds and speeds set correctly? Occasionally, changes are made through the process to bring the manufacturing back on track.
You have a great product or service. It’s consistent, defects are minimal and things are going well. But you’re not seeing these great results in the P&L. There’s an amount of wastage somewhere in the process that’s causing pain where there should be profit. So what do? Accept it, because that’s just the way it is, or do something about it?
Wastage in the business will impact your overheads. Employees taking longer on tasks which delays the next step in the process, adding increased costs to the project, task production or product launch. Or not following process or procedures, adding to the Cost of Sales.
Or maybe it’s in the Leadership team? Prioritising your involvement in projects or other tasks instead of the activities which will move the business forward in a sustainable way.
Scheduling a routine or a rhythm to your business, allows you to stay on track and improve the efficiency and profitability of the business, and it starts from the top.
The rhythm of business is about creating a set of habits and a predefined set of meetings in the calendar on a rolling yearly and quarterly basis. Look at the meetings which need to happen on a yearly basis, a quarterly basis, monthly, weekly and even daily.
Yearly? This could be 5 year and 18 month planning. P&L targets, Sales & Marketing plan. Who needs to be involved?
Quarterly? Review and plan sessions across all departments. Sales & Marketing, Finance, Operations, Procurement, Logistics, R&D, HR, Training & Development. Again, who needs to be involved?
Monthly?
Weekly? Work in Progress/Operational meeting? Sales & Marketing?
What else do you need? How are you going to manage these?
At this point you might think that this feels like Death by meetings. The reality is that you are creating a level of responsibility across the teams and departments. Keep the meetings to the length of time that they require, no more.
Final tip, if you are going to be involved in the details of the meeting, have someone else facilitate
The regular check ins and Milestones in the Diary, keep your business on track and lead to profitable growth and completely change the dynamics of your business.
