In the modern technological economy, success in the corporate sphere is becoming more and more tied to the use of advanced information technology platforms. There is such a clamour to incorporate the latest developments in technology into corporate policy and infrastructure that very often, the level of quality derived from new technologies can fall by the wayside. The rapid advancement and development of complex information technology can be hard to keep up with for many business owners and managers, and thus the focus is more often than not on the speed of implementation, rather than the level of quality gained by emerging technologies.
Many CEOs and CIOs face a decidedly 21st century problem; having quickly incorporated new technological developments into their business model, there is confusion when company performance and profitability does not dramatically improve. This can largely be a consequence of focusing on the quantity of IT usage, rather than the quality. In the modern economy, business owners and managers need to shift their ambitions towards creating a corporate culture of quality-driven IT systems. In the long-run, a company that centres itself on a culture of quality assurance will reap the rewards in terms of efficiency, profitability, customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The problem of quantity implementation versus quality assurance in the technological industry is a well-known issue. However, actually going about restructuring company policy to work towards this goal can be more troublesome. Many CEOs and CIOs have been asking themselves the same question – what is the best way to implement a corporate culture of quality assurance?
Restructuring company policy
Total quality management in the technological sector is a broad concept that offers certain sound starting points for companies wishing to restructure their corporate culture. For example, a company can consider a number of different measures to ensure quality provision, such as:
• Identify quality standards and procedures that must be adhered to for all IT systems
• Identify a line of responsibility for quality assurance within the corporate structure
• Share responsibility for quality assurance amongst a number of different people or departments
• Devise a scale to objectively measure the level of quality being provided
• Align quality assurance targets with overall company objectives
• Focus on whole-scale fixes to technological issues rather than implement short-term solutions
By breaking up the goal of quality assurance into bitesize, manageable chunks, a company can revolutionise their corporate culture in a surprisingly short period of time. Moreover, the benefits of carrying out this goal will soon be clear to see, with company performance and profitability improving due to a focus on quality over quantity.
A clear mission statement
When quality assurance is effectively implemented, the whole company or organisation will benefit from the added value of new systems and procedures. Effective implementation is the key to success in this mission, and quality assurance must be a thorough process, from start-to-finish in the company’s operations.
To do this, a clear and concise mission statement must be conceived. Without clear goals to aim for, the mission of achieving a high level of quality assurance will never be truly accomplished. How a company measures the level of quality assurance in their operations must be clearly defined, so that all the relevant employees and departments know what to aim for. Furthermore, quality assurance must be a prevalent consideration before, during, and after the IT design, creation, and implementation process. Everyone must know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how to achieve their goals.
Compartmentalising the target of total quality assurance into manageable goals is a great way to start walking the walk in regards to instituting a company policy of quality assurance. There are a number of questions that need to be asked by any company wishing to carry out this procedure:
• Size: What size should the quality assurance system be?
• Structure: How should the quality assurance system be ordered?
• Scope: How will quality assurance be achieved, and in what areas?
• Roles and responsibilities: Who should be responsible for maintaining a high level of quality assurance?
• Skills: What skills and abilities are required for the task?
• Measures: How should quality assurance performance be measured?
Quality assurance should be a primary goal for any company operating with a significant degree of technological systems and platforms. Far too often it is neglected, resulting in a level of company performance that is lower than the potential success that could be achieved. Ensuring that quality permeates through the company structure can only lead to one thing – high levels of success, and continued prosperity.