Quality function is an essential arm of any organization and running it without an adequately staffed Quality department or with no dedicated Quality department is an extremely difficult and challenging task for any organization. Not only that, the cultural aspects related to Quality, process improvement and change are never addressed in such a situation. The organization may succeed in getting some of the good business practices implemented but would fail in getting them institutionalized. In fact, for most of such organizations the word institutionalization is generally an unknown and strange concept.
Some of such organizations hire staff in their Quality team for getting through ISO Certifications or CMMI Appraisals and then fire staff from the Quality team immediately after their purpose is served. For them Quality means a shining, framed certificate hanging on the wall of the reception. Unfortunately, Quality doesn't mean even implementation forget about institutionalization.
For certain other organizations, the expectation is to get a good deal on Quality and process improvement without spending a dime on the Quality department. They may hire some individuals to do some of these activities for a certain work area or business need. A look at the organization chart of such organizations is enough to reveal the fact that for these organizations Quality is something that happens on its own as there is no separate/dedicated Quality department in the organization chart. As there is no separate/dedicated Quality department, Quality becomes everyone's responsibility (which actually means it is no one's responsibility). They fail to realize that having processes and templates without its effective deployment is as good as having no processes. They tend to assemble persons from various business groups and create some kind of a paper corporate standard (processes and templates). After the creation of the processes and standards, no one thinks about its effective deployment. Quality becomes a casualty amidst shared ownership and glorification of the corporate standards.
The right way is of course to invest in Quality. And it starts right from the organization chart. Quality should have a rightful and important place on the organization chart with clear assignment of roles and responsibilities. Quality is everyone's responsibility but needs to be driven by somebody otherwise it is taken care of by nobody.
Some of such organizations hire staff in their Quality team for getting through ISO Certifications or CMMI Appraisals and then fire staff from the Quality team immediately after their purpose is served. For them Quality means a shining, framed certificate hanging on the wall of the reception. Unfortunately, Quality doesn't mean even implementation forget about institutionalization.
For certain other organizations, the expectation is to get a good deal on Quality and process improvement without spending a dime on the Quality department. They may hire some individuals to do some of these activities for a certain work area or business need. A look at the organization chart of such organizations is enough to reveal the fact that for these organizations Quality is something that happens on its own as there is no separate/dedicated Quality department in the organization chart. As there is no separate/dedicated Quality department, Quality becomes everyone's responsibility (which actually means it is no one's responsibility). They fail to realize that having processes and templates without its effective deployment is as good as having no processes. They tend to assemble persons from various business groups and create some kind of a paper corporate standard (processes and templates). After the creation of the processes and standards, no one thinks about its effective deployment. Quality becomes a casualty amidst shared ownership and glorification of the corporate standards.
The right way is of course to invest in Quality. And it starts right from the organization chart. Quality should have a rightful and important place on the organization chart with clear assignment of roles and responsibilities. Quality is everyone's responsibility but needs to be driven by somebody otherwise it is taken care of by nobody.
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