Quality to win the competitive advantage

Definition of quality is an almost impossible task, because under the different environment and culture, the quality may have different meanings to different people.

"I think the quality is the company's sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) one of the indispensable element.SCA is difficult to imitate company assets, property or ability of a collection, you can make the enterprise in the long run more successful than its competitors."Industrial management and material management professor at the university of VaasaJosu TakalaSaid.

"Quality has the integrity, quality is closely related to the company's business strategy and management, and leadership are closely linked.The faster the operating environment and customer demand changes, the latter becomes the key."Takala continued.

Quality thought is growing

Quality thought can be traced back to medieval Europe, where craftsmen in the 13th century began to organize a clear line of quality standards.A few hundred years later, the industrial revolution led to the demand for new method of quality management, statistical process control and methods of total quality management, since the increasingly mature.Takala said, the quality is not theory, but practice, it is very practical thing, always.

Today, companies increasingly rely on advanced technology, new knowledge, digital and creative ability, so the quality of thinking also will development.The company's pursuit of is now a comprehensive cultural quality, is characterized by everyone in the organization shall have the right to assume responsibility and make quality decision.Especially emphasize the leadership role

Quality should be guided by customer demand

Now, the quality has been regarded as an important part of the company's overall competitive advantage, the customer is becoming more and more important role.

"Quality is defined by the customer.In a rapidly changing era, companies often need to carry out the strategic action, have the ability to quickly meet changing customer expectations.In fact, in determining the future demand, the company should be always one step ahead than customers."Takala pointed out.

The customer define quality

When the company requires a comprehensive understanding of the quality of the products, customers mainly to meet the needs of its quality related interest.Therefore, understanding what they are and how they affect the company's operations is very important.For example, the pulp and paper producers technology suppliers related to the quality request, may be related to its final quality of the products;Or may be associated with environmental quality or cost effective.Moreover, with more advanced technology and the application of industrial Internet solutions, the quality of knowledge play a core role.

For example, the pulp and paper producers technology suppliers related to the quality request, may be related to its final quality of the products;Or may be associated with environmental quality or cost effective.Moreover, with more advanced technology and the application of industrial Internet solutions, the quality of knowledge play a core role.

Convert data into quality

For example, digital and Internet of things has enable people to access the relevant equipment performance, product quality or customer behavior of large amounts of data.Can use these data to improve the quality of products and processes, and even can be used to discover new, related to the quality of new business opportunities.

"This during one of the biggest challenges facing related to the quality of the data collection and data analysis.The data itself without any value.Valuable is the ability of analysis and the creation of ideas."Takala said.

Nowadays, machine learning and artificial intelligence technology has been used to monitor and improve quality.Device used to detect change vision, different sensors in the device's individual components, or the whole process and collected data on the final product.Equipment study can not only enhance the predictability of infrastructure maintenance requirements, can also remind us attention has not been associated with the final product quality problems.

Digital and Internet industry has promoted the transition of the relationship between customers and suppliers, making it a deep partnership or ecosystem.Therefore, knowledge quality, such as data analysis and deep understanding of customer needs, will be in the company quality policy plays an important role in the future.

"Transformational leadership style to encourage, motivate and promote employees' innovation, create new solutions and ways of doing things, it is very important to the organization's future success.It is not only in terms of quality, and throughout the organization have built a culture of success."

Search for the optimal competitive strategy

Various decision-making tools can support the company choose competition strategy in the changing environment.Takala mentioned, for example, first introduced by Ferdows and De Meyer of the sand cone model.

Can the sand cone model shows that, although in the short term weighed quality, reliability/flexibility, speed, and cost effective competition ability, but between them there is a dynamic, time related to hierarchy.Which means to establish a sustainable competitive advantage, it needs to weigh the relation method, cumulative ability, one kind of ability is based on another kind of ability.

At first, the model suggested that enterprises should follow certain strategic priorities, develop all four sustainable competitive advantage.Order began in improving quality of advice - indeed, Ferdows and DeMeyer thinks the company's quality performance is the prerequisite of all continuous improvement.The next step is to enhance the reliability/flexibility, then accelerate, finally, the optimal cost-effectiveness.Therefore, the company can be sustainable benefit all four aspects of competitive advantage, even in harsh market turmoil, also won't lose any one aspect.

Authorize staff to meet changing customer demand

Correct method can support the leadership of the individual and the organization's ability to change quickly, to meet customer demand.

"Transformational leadership approach is to give individuals and organizations of power tools, methods and change the way they work."Takala, said he had with Finland defense cooperation, and support they use transformational leadership style.

Strong quality culture support staff to make decisions

Transformational leadership improve the initiative and enthusiasm of each team member, ACTS as a role model, training with clear values, priorities and standard of moral work environment.They also set up a kind of culture, in this culture, all team members can make decision and take the functions of task on its own.

"This leadership style to encourage and motivate and promote employees' innovation, create new solutions and ways, this is very important to the organization's future success.It is not only in terms of quality, and throughout the organization have built a culture of success."

Wen: Sanna Haanpaa - Liukko

Graph:Tomi Parkkonen