Situation
Caroline, the General Manager of your business unit, has recently returned from a conference and has proposed that the business unit should implement a formal International Standards quality management system. She has asked for advice from you and the rest of the management team. As far as you are aware, Caroline has limited experience of quality management systems.
What should you consider in developing your advice to Caroline?
9 Lenses scan
| How will a quality management system affect the performance of the business unit? Is it likely that it will improve significantly the marketability of its products and services? Is it likely that it will reduce significantly defects and rework? How many, if any, of our competitors have implemented a quality management system? For those that have, is there any evidence that it has had a positive impact in their performance? Will implementing a quality management system provide a competitive advantage? |
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| Quality management systems require a significant degree of formalization and process discipline. Is this consistent with our current culture? If not, do we want to change our culture? If so, is a quality management system the best way to do so? How will a quality management system affect our day-to-day interactions with our suppliers and customers? Will it open up opportunities not currently available to us? |
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| Will our current relatively informal operating model limit the business unit in the longer term? It so, is there potential benefit from using a formal quality management system to introduce more formality and structure? | |
| How close are we to meeting the requirements of a formal quality management system? How much effort is required to implement and maintain a quality management system? Should we visit similar organizations that have implemented a quality management system to see first-hand how they work in practice? |
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| How committed is Caroline to this suggestion? Has she already made commitments to others – head office, her boss, key customers? | |
| Why has Caroline suddenly made this suggestion? What did she hear or who did she talk to at the conference to stimulate this idea? Is the motivation well founded? Should we wait and see if Caroline is still enthusiastic after a month or so? | |
| Are there sections of the business unit that are already close to meeting the requirements of a quality management system? If so, are they typical enough to use as a model for the rest of the business unit? | |
| Even if the case to implement a quality management at the moment is not compelling, are there any weak indications that market might expect it in the future? |
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