THE 7 PLAGUES OF QUALITY PROGRAMS

The last two decades of the last century were effervescent in Brazilian industry with the spread of Quality Management, Total Quality and the emergence of ISO-9000.

Jayme Gusmão is a mechanical engineer, consultant in Quality and Productivity and specialist in Lead Batteries, as well as director of Pb-S.AMERICA and FENIBAT.

The last two decades of the last century were effervescent in Brazilian industry with the spread of Quality Management, Total Quality and the emergence of ISO-9000.

I now bring to the readers a work of mine from the year 2000, which I found while tidying up my bookshelf. It was a booklet of just over half a dozen pages entitled “The 7 Plagues of Quality Programs” which, in August 2000, I took to the II “Salão da Qualidade Brasil”, at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo.

In it, I listed in a humorous way some of the main “diseases” found in the Brazilian Quality scenario at that time and gave some tips for “diagnosis and treatment”.

It is possible that some of these situations still persist in one or another company, but the general maturity of the industry is visible and I believe that most of the “plagues” mentioned here have already been eliminated.

I hope that our readers will enjoy this work and, if it is of some use to them, even better!

"DANCE OF THE CRAZY GUY"

Continuously Mutating Virus

This mainly attacks the richest companies. With excess funds and insufficient controls, every year they join the latest wave of foreign gurus, leaving the previous program unfinished. For them, the important thing is to keep employees motivated, to keep them always "learning" something, even if it means changing direction and forgetting everything in a few months, moving on to opposite concepts.

To get rid of this plague, if you want a program that yields results, choose what is already proven and don't be anyone's guinea pig. And stay on a firm course to consolidate the gains, only adding new techniques with great caution.

"LIMPED MULE"

Vitamin Deficiency

This is the one that lacks one of the pillars, one of the supporting legs: production and service technology, techniques for improving Quality and Productivity, and management techniques.

If it lacks just one of these legs, its Quality will limp terribly and become paralyzed, unable to move. There is no point in having an excellent motivational program if the equipment does not help - or does not even exist - or if the employees do not have a minimum knowledge of how to solve problems.

A Quality Program must be complete and consider these three aspects, or it will be nothing more than good intentions and, always limping, will not be able to go very far.

"TITANIC"

Viral epidemic:

Like the famous ship, it is a marvel when displayed on the dock, and is a sales success. Until halfway through the first voyage. Because Quality exists only in advertising: sooner or later the customer will see if we really delivered on our promises, or if we sink like the famous ship.

A Quality Program cannot have as its objective simply marketing. Worse: promising the consumer a Quality that they will not find in your product or service will result in frustration that is difficult to recover from.

This viral epidemic has spread rapidly throughout the country, mainly affecting the ISO-9000 certifications that were made without a focus on true Quality. And with results in costs, bureaucracy and rigid procedures capable of sinking any ocean liner!

"HEADLESS MULE"

Acephalitis:

It is found in organizations where senior management "gives a lot of heat" when they talk about Quality, but when it comes to taking action on the matter, leading and conducting the program, they turn a blind eye and leave all responsibility to intermediate personnel and specialists.

Without a head, the organization takes dangerous paths in terms of cost and productivity or, at best, fails to obtain any results from the investments made. Either senior management fully commits to Quality, and not only through exhortations, goals and awards, but rolls up its sleeves and gets down to the factory or store floor, or nothing good will happen that is worth it.

Blindness resulting from

“HH-AVITAMINOSIS”:

True Quality is developed and consolidated with the participation of all the people who make up the company.

The “HH vitamin”, or human vitamin, is absolutely necessary for long-term business success, but its lack weakens any Quality program. It is only found in environments where employees are respected and listened to. In environments of distrust, aggression, dictatorial or inflexibility, the “HH vitamin” is extinguished and the company loses much of its vision of where errors and opportunities lie and the energy to attack them and, consequently, loses many of the possibilities for improvement.

It must be treated before any Quality initiative. And it can be cured with continuous doses of a human resources policy... Human.

"SHOULD NOT MESS A WINNING FORMULA”

Paralyzing Neophobia

It is one of the most dangerous conditions, and it reaches the highest rates among family businesses, even in the first generation. It has causes and symptoms that are the opposite of those of the "Dance of the Crazy Guy" virus, but the prognosis is very similar. It spreads from the most traditionalist minds, in the form of a phobia, close to panic, at the sight of any change.

Its causes are psychological. But the obstacles and paralysis are real. Nothing changes in the company and everything remains as it has always been done and someone thinks that "it has always worked". Normally, the cure only comes when external pressures reach such a level that change becomes the only way for the organization to survive.

Iatrogenic or "HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED"

Neurosis

In therapy, this refers to neuroses induced in the patient by the analyst. It is like a hospital infection, acquired during the treatment of another problem. The sometimes blind trust of the company in a consultant can lead to this type of corporate neurosis.

Such neuroses can generate behaviors and directions that are more than undesirable for a Quality Program: from apathy to collective hysteria, from conflicts of objectives to paranoia. Fortunately, it is easy to cure once diagnosed. The firm hand of senior management, correcting the course, can usually reverse the damage in a short time.

Prevention is achieved by selecting a good consulting firm, by prior evaluation and approval of all your projects, and by closely monitoring all activities of the Quality Program.

If you have found any different and serious illness not listed here, please send us a description of the symptoms, probable causes and suggested preventive and curative methods. Your information will be given full attention, for the benefit of Brazilian companies and professionals…