A discussion of the contribution to current quality thinking of three recognized quality management experts.
Changing the quality culture of EdHarx Services Ltd
One of the biggest national car grooming franchises, EdHarx Services Ltd has several branches throughout the country. Melanie Chay recently took over as the HR manager for the organisation. Melanie has set up quality management systems and procedures and worked with customer services departments, so she is aware of the importance of training and development to achieve the required outcomes.
EdHarx Services Ltd has always exercised considerable control over staff performance in each of the franchised businesses. There are a lot of documented rules and regulations, which cover areas related to all staff. There is a strong focus on management being in charge of the whole – employees are expected to carry out requirements. In addition, there are quite rigid procedures for quality inspection prior to customer pickup.
The Chief Executive of EdHarx Services, Jenter Dell, recently visited two of the franchised businesses and found that the required quality standards were not being met. The focus has shifted to organisational requirements being the priority with documented processes coming ahead of customer service. In addition, many issues with quality are not detected until later in the process, causing delays and expensive re-working to meet requirements. Jenter is concerned about this, and feels that the standardised approach is now failing for a number of reasons. This is particularly the case when it comes to earlier detection of any service or other issues.
Melanie is used to very directed quality management systems, with the emphasis being on quality manuals that include quite specific controls and policies. Unfortunately, the number of quality manuals used at Edharx has expanded so that, while information is available, it is not always easy to find. In addition, they recently introduced some policies on quality assurance, which are held in a separate area.
As a result of his experiences and observations, Jenter is now suggesting a move towards developing an overall quality culture. This would involve staff members being given freedom to deal with clients in the way that best suited the individual franchises, without compromising service levels. The new culture will include more focus on continuous improvement and increasing customer satisfaction.
As part of her role as HR manager, Melanie has been put in charge of introducing this new quality culture.