The customer, center of our activities
In general, there is a misconception about quality and many entrepreneurs do not give this term the importance necessary for the success of their companies: it is also often thought_ that the higher the quality of the product or service, the more expensive it must be, and for this they prefer obviated.
In reality, quality is in the mind of the consumer or client, since it is he who uses and judges our product. In other words, quality is the satisfaction of the needs and expectations of the scent, which are covered by the product or service that we provide. If my product does not respond to your requirements, then it has no quality and therefore searches among the competition.
It must be taken into account that the client constantly judges the product or service that we provide, and that he is the main source of advertising that we have. If we deliver a product in poor condition, it does not return and, on top of that, it tells those who can, thus distancing our potential customers. But if we cover the seven requirements of need with our product, it makes an excellent publicity for us and always comes back.
Within this framework, competitiveness is another term that is poorly understood. Competitiveness is the ability of a seller or a company to keep its customers and captivate others. And this is accomplished only when your needs are met.
Total Quality and Competitiveness are keys to achieving business success.
In this context, New Company -in its permanent training program- invited the engineer Rodolfo Aramayo, an expert on the subject of competitiveness. who captivated the audience with a keynote talk. Due to its importance for our companies and its growth, we summarize the exhibition in the central pages of this edition in the hope that it will be a useful tool for the development of current and potential production units.
In the clear sections you will find, as always, important information for your activities. In Capital para Crecer we detail effective guidelines for credit financing for SMEs, which will go into four chapters: in Programs and Projects we highlight the German Cooperation Service (DED), which supports the development of companies and producers. Don't forget to demand the second part of the reprint on handling customer complaints, where to quote us the seven golden rules to solve problems and prevent your customers from leaving.
That said, we invite you to read New Company in order to fulfill our objective: to be a useful tool for the growth and development of your company. At the same time, we wish you a happy week.
Quality is synonymous with satisfying the needs and expectations of internal and external customers, and responsibility in the management of each company. We explain how to overcome this challenge.
Faced with the process of change that Bolivia is undergoing and in an increasingly globalized world for which we are not sufficiently prepared. The proposal put forward for having successful companies translates into thinking about the significant value of total quality, with which medium and small companies (mypes) can be competitive.
Following the permanent training program sponsored by Nueva Empresa, last Monday the workshop seminar "Total Quality and Competitiveness" was held, led by Rodolfo Aramayo Guillen, President of Quality Consultants (Consultants in Total Quality), who through a method Participatory shared experiences and basic concepts to achieve business success and, at the same time, customer satisfaction.
What is quality
Currently, QUALITY is a fashionable word, but in Ararnayo's opinion, in a national environment there is no awareness among producers about the true concept of quality, nor among entrepreneurs or consumers. There is an a priori appreciation of that quality is a "problem" that is resolved in the shortest time, but when we are really ready to solve it, we see that it takes its time because there are different factors that condition its achievement; however, we can all be subject to this change.
There are some common erroneous assumptions about the concept of quality, these are: believing that quality means excellence, considering that quality is something intangible and. therefore not measurable; consider my business to be different; quality problems are caused by those who perform the work, and think that quality originates in the quality department.
Quality does not mean excellence, it is a tool that helps us achieve excellence, and this in turn makes a difference in a business. Some authors, including Crosby. they consider it 'an adjustment to requirements', and for the quality guru Juran it is 'fitness for use'.
On the other hand, the ISO establishes that quality is the totality of options and characteristics of a product or service that affects its capacity for satisfaction. stated or implied needs.
However. The concept underlined in the workshop is as follows: «Judgment that customers or users have about a product or service, is the point at which they feel that it exceeds THEIR needs and expectations. Which means that the quality of my product or service is permanently judged by customers or users.
Elements of Quality
The main elements of need that customers look for in a product or service are:
• Security
• Availability
• Maintainability
• Reliability
• Easy to use
• Economy
• Ambient
To achieve quality control, it is suggested to be product-oriented, incompatibility between: quality, lower costs, higher productivity, correct After:
Clear Fix Bad and higher Costs and loss of Clients.
Statistical process control should be aimed at a lower inspection cost, throughout the production process. higher quality, lower product cost. higher productivity. insufficient to compete.
Full control or quality
Quality is synonymous with satisfying the needs and expectations of the internal and external client, management responsibility, quality in all company functions, staff participation and not neglecting the principles and tools for continuous improvement.
Mypes can be competitive, but what Ararnayo recommends is raising awareness that quality must be produced, taking into account what the Japanese suggest (a selection, ordering, cleaning, classification and self-discipline), and then start to carry out process control.
To highlight, total quality is understood as the set of organized principles and methods of global strategy. created to mobilize the entire company in order to provide maximum customer satisfaction at minimum cost.
In total quality the concept is changed, the customer is not only the one who buys the product. it is each process within the company and in a product. in such a way that the chain reaches the end of the asybolid with customer satisfaction.
The trend in the future is for some concepts to change, that is, anyone will be able to produce, but the difference will be services, 80% of services will have more value. When there is quality awareness, other tools will be applied.
The simplest concept of competitiveness raised by the expert is the ability to keep the clients we have achieved. and the ability to interest and attract new customers. As a fundamental consequence, the customer is at the center of our company.
Therefore, it must be our absolute priority and the center of all our activities. But we have to adjust to the quality cycle: plan, adjust, review and do.
Management by training
The essential points to achieve a management by training are aimed at supporting the needs of the highest level of personnel, the group or a basic cell of the organization, there must be great autonomy of the groups and wide dissemination of information in the company.
Exemplifying frequent cases in companies, he highlighted the need to replace the paradigm of "limited personnel capacity" with that of "great potential," at this point questioning the attitude of employers who underestimate the capacity of their employees. for there is a lack of confidence that they assume certain functions.
A successful performance in highly competitive markets requires Participatory Management; therefore, it is recommended to treat workers not as if they were human beings, but as real human beings. "The Human Factor Makes The Difference".
The ideal is to be a participative company, to consider that at the company level workers are informed and consulted about company strategies and performance: training is an integral part of the job. workers participate in the success of the company, responsibilities are delegated to lower levels, there are effective mechanisms for conflict resolution, open cooperation between functional departments (sales, production). the concept of the "company in the company" or "mini-factory" works, a dining room and other social services are recommended for everyone.
In productive units, encourage teamwork; workers choose their team coordinator, team remuneration, job planning and conformation (determination of standard operators) and quality control by the team.
With the participative company we learn to improve, to systematically solve problems, to integrate learning and action. emphasize local exemplarity, document and measure improvements, and promote the exchange of experiences_
Unfortunately, the reality in our environment is that the rnypes do not prioritize investment in training and if they do, they want immediate results, but there are methodologies such as the one we offer aimed at promoting quality, which is based on basic principles that will be useful for your company.
Mypes can be competitive, but quality is in the eyes of the customer, not in the eyes of the seller, manufacturer or producer. The mype must satisfy the needs of the market and that its product specifications (reliable, durable, etc.) satisfy the client, but it depends on the importance and promotion of quality given by public and private institutions so that through talks and seminars Like them that New Company promotes, much more entrepreneurs. put it into practice.
