QUALITY – MUCH MORE THAN JUST MAKING A GOOD PRODUCT

Most of us expect quality service and products.

However, defining quality can be tricky. The definition of quality may differ from person to person.

It is more than just making a good product. Many companies use the word “quality” as a promotional tactic. This can backfire if they do not hold up to their claims and promises.

It takes time to build up confidence with customers.

As Henry Ford famously said: “You don’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”

After 30 years of genuine local manufacturing, we at Simcraft have learnt that the most important aspect is to really understand our customer’s requirements. Customers are the ultimate judge of quality in the marketplace.

This understanding coupled with product performance and customer service is vital for any quality program.

To ensure quality at Simcraft we make sure we:

• Understand the expectations of our clients. Expectations need to be managed and if they are unrealistic, it is our responsibility to communicate and educate the client. This understanding of a specific client’s expectation needs to be shared within the company from production right through to sales. Assumptions kill quality!

• Are a reliable company. We do what we say we will when we promised we will.

• Appoint the right people for the job. Ensure they are qualified and experienced to do the job the customer requires.

• Complement technical skills with soft skills. These include empathy, good verbal and written communication, responsiveness and working well as part of a team. The way we deal with our clients sets us apart.

• Develop appropriate standards for a specific business make sure they are applied. This will have to be consistently monitored.

• Have a culture of continual improvement. This is part of the ISO 9001 quality management system where we are always looking for ways to improve quality.

• Celebrate quality successes. Share good news within the company and to customers. Give credit where credit is due.

• Learn from quality failures. We need to ask, “what went wrong” and “how can we avoid that in the future.”

I hope this post was informative. If you would like to know more about what we can do for you, contact one of our friendly staff members or drop into our Welshpool factory for a coffee and a chat.