The Importance of Quality Management

Q: This year's theme for Quality Week is “Compliance to Performance.” What does this theme mean to you, and how do you think it influences your approach to quality?

ML: For me compliance comes first, especially compliance with regulatory requirements and Actalent’s established processes documented in our quality management system (QMS). Once these building blocks are in place and everyone is trained and aware of their responsibilities, we have a solid foundation for improvement. This foundation allows us to continually enhance performance across all areas and explore new ways to optimise processes like onboarding or transitioning between projects.

RB: Quality and performance go hand in hand. The quality system should prioritise performance, ensuring compliance is seamlessly integrated with realistic controls. This approach helps achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) like client satisfaction, enhanced performance, cost reduction and product or service quality.

Think of the QMS as the frosting on the cake, with the core business plan being the cake itself. Quality enhances the business plan by aligning its KPIs with those of the business. Clearly defining KPIs before implementing compliance ensures a balanced system where business goals and quality objectives are harmoniously integrated.

Q: What strategies can companies implement to effectively transition from compliance-focused practices to performance-driven initiatives?

ML: One of the most important strategies is to establish a good continual improvement system where everyone can input suggestions about improvements they would like to see, or pain points they are experiencing. Promptly responding to all requests and addressing those that are feasible and beneficial is crucial for gaining buy-in. When requests cannot be addressed, they should be met with an explanation as to why.

Our system is moderated by our quality assurance team, and we track all applicable stages for each improvement, including initial assessment, root cause analysis, implementation and effectiveness. It's crucial to act on problems and not ignore them, and we need everyone's engagement to find solutions. This collective effort is how we drive meaningful improvements.

Another way is to maximise the use of available data. Dashboarding performance data such as budget or schedule data drives performance-minded behaviors through better visibility and accountability. Real-time data also aids in better planning and assessing costs and returns.

RB: Many quality professionals and teams adopt generic quality standards and regulatory statements without thoughtful consideration, leading to negative impacts on the company and its employees due to unrealistic compliance requirements.

A unique quality system should be formulated for each company, aligned with its business plan, and include necessary regulatory requirements. Tailoring the system to the business plan creates a performance-based company. Operational KPIs, quality audits and adherence to stated procedures are crucial. If these are not met, there are negative findings. Quality must demonstrate conformance to standards through vetted procedures and regular measurement, ensuring that actions align with stated goals.

Q: Can you share a specific example of how Actalent has moved beyond compliance to achieve exceptional and consistent performance?

ML: We recently developed an automated client satisfaction (CSAT) system to consistently measure satisfaction by soliciting feedback from the right stakeholders at various project stages (both during and after projects). The system simplifies feedback collection, minimises the burden on the client and provides consistent data for analysis, trending and even corrective action. We’ve seen a great response rate so far and have received valuable feedback that has helped us improve our services.

RB: We successfully developed a QMS grounded in our best-in-practice business model, the Services Management Framework (SMF), and integrated industry quality standards like ISO to ensure realistic compliance requirements. This enhances process efficiency, performance satisfaction and sets clear communication standards, leading to cost reduction and high service quality. Our Actalent QMS is now implemented globally across our company and certified for compliance by independent third-party auditors. Additionally, we have a Global Operational Excellence (GOE) team dedicated to continuous process improvements and performance.

This article, “World Quality Week Q&A with Actalent Experts,” was originally published on LinkedIn.