The Changing Face of Quality

I recently read (actually watched) PaulBorawski's blog posting on his interview with the VP of Quality at Ford Motor Company. We all know of the significant challenges the American automotive industry is facing. The world is changing in so many ways and so to must automobiles.

As I listened to Bennie Fowler addressing Paul's questions, I noticed the similarities between what Ford is doing and the recent Futures Study I just participated in. In Bennie's mind (and mine), quality itself is changing.

Bennie started out by saying how very important is was to have the entire leadership team believing, “We want to get better.” Then rolling that strategy out to the quality improvement teams in four ways:

1. Focus on the customer experience
2. Provide employes with the right information
3. Provide the right infrastructure for superior work
4. Use the right tools for the job

It sounds so simple, but it is also very hard. I thought about how Alan Mulally, Ford's CEO, used this same approach when he was head of the 777 team at Boeing.

When asked about the tag line Quality is Job 1, Bennie said it was still job one, but bigger than just the classic form, fit, and function. It must appeal to the whole range of human emotions. It needs to be high tech, and safe, and in a nice package. It must make life better. Quality is more than just product. It now includes the entire customer experience.

Whoa! That's Steve Jobs and Apple!

But unlike Apple, Ford does not depend on a visionary. Once the leaders at Ford understand that quality supports greatness, all the rest of the suits must follow. They must all have commitment and accountability. (This was emphasized by Alan Mulally at the ASQ World Conference last year in St. Louis.)

My take on all of this? Application of the quality tools is necessary to even get into the game. Ford is successful in the market because it doesn't rely on just the tools. It uses the softer skills too. Leadership, experience, innovation, and technology. Much like Apple.

But is this approach the best for all organizations? What about metals and chemicals and food, where consistency and reliability and safety and regulatory compliance are so very important. What are the customer experience drivers for a supplier of benzene? They want pure product on time at a fair price. How emotional can one get towards benzene?

Perhaps that is why we struggle with “quality” in education and government. We try to apply commodity tools to an emotionally-complex environment.

I continue to believe that quality, environment, safety, and security are merging. That applies to both commodities and consumers. But I question the need for our profession to also focus on marketing and human factors and technology applications. Seems to me that we should work with those folks. Not absorb their jobs.

“I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.”