This is the the latest in a series of blog posts detailing results from ETQ's 2020 industry trends and attitudes survey on the changing role of quality as a strategic business initiative. When we started surveying businesses in the Life Sciences, Food & Beverage and Manufacturing industries, our goal was to get a better understanding of the state of quality management—not just in 2020, but over the next three to five years.
There is a growing change in the way organization view the role of quality, according a new survey that ETQ and Salloway & Associates recently completed. Whether driven by growing global competition, a dynamic regulatory and compliance environment, or market and internal forces, companies today view quality as a strategic business initiative and less of a perfunctory obligation.
At ETQ, we spend a lot of time thinking about our “customers’ customer.” Today, in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is conceivable that some of our customers’ customers are, in fact, every single one of us. From life science and healthcare companies of all kinds delivering badly needed supplies and researching potential treatment and vaccine options, to “traditional” manufacturing companies modifying their production lines to build healthcare equipment, our respect and admiration for our customers grows daily.
Here at ETQ, we’re looking forward to our trip to beautiful Miami! We’ve been working hard to make sure our upcoming events, Quality Leadership Forum and ETQ Quality Vision 2020, exceed your expectations. We can’t wait to share ideas and insights on quality and health and safety with you under the Florida sun. Quality is our mission. And we love that it’s your mission, too.
The following contributed article by ETQ's CTO Morgan Palmer was originally published on IndustryWeek. Palmer has been a thought leader in quality management technology for over 20 years and his position as the technical architect for ETQ makes him a key driver of innovation across the company's product line.
Companies who don’t foster a path towards operational excellence within their workforce could find that their employees are less engaged and, ultimately, less productive. According to a recently released report, organizations that prioritize both employee engagement and a culture of quality are likely to experience an increase in productivity and customer satisfaction. Forbes reported that a global survey of over 5,000 people by workplace management platform Wrike found that employee engagement was high, with 91 percent of respondents claiming that they had a personal commitment to a company’s goals and its overall success.
Cyber threats may be an unintended consequence of our connected society, but companies who don’t see digital supply chain management as a collective issue are leaving themselves open to quality pain points.
The end of the year is nigh. Less than a month to go until we barrel into 2020 and, to quote one of Sweden’s finest musical exports, we are approaching the final countdown. This is always a difficult time of year for companies. There is a delicate balance to be struck during the holiday season, especially when it comes to maintaining quality standards in the workplace. Employees might be looking forward to the festive period and calendars are likely to be filled with social events and pre-booked vacations - all of which can become distracting.
The ongoing digitization of society has made emerging technology the chief driver of change within existing work practices. This development can result in the idea that any technology that might turn a business optimization tool into a competitive differentiator is worth the investment.
The holiday season is fast approaching but the ETQ team is looking past the annual festival of over-indulgence and digging out our Panama hats and patterned shirts. And while vice is the last thing on our mind, the opportunity to inspire quality excellence in sunny Miami is already firmly inked into our calendars.
Most companies are well acquainted with the “visible” costs of poor quality. But these are just the tip of the iceberg compared to the deeper and more intractable “invisible” costs lurking below the waterline. It behooves companies that value quality leadership to fully understand and account for these hidden costs or risk losing consumer trust, brand reputation and, ultimately, business value.
