Section 6 - Tools for Quality Management

We have explored the need for organizations to continually improve if they are to satisfy and please their customers but how do we actually do this?

Obviously we have to talk to our customers to discover what their needs really are and you have done this to a degree in Section 4, but having identified areas where we may improve the quality of what we supply how can we go about improving?

In this section we will look at some very simple but highly effective tools that not only help you to identify Complexity in processes and their causes, but also give you an opportunity to involve a team of people in the problem-solving process.

We must not forget the key learning points from Section 2 that involving others and asking their opinions is the best way to gain their commitment to the action that will be required to implement the improvement.

We have learned that People and Information are our two most important resources. Additionally, we have learned that Conflict is the enemy when we want to develop good working relationships and that Listening is the ally. We will now look at how Complexity is the enemy when we try to have efficient processes and that by using these simple tools correctly they can not only help us to identify and overcome Complexity but can provide us with a vehicle for Listening to our people which in turn not only reduces the risk of Conflict but also improves our two key resource areas of People and Information.