Quality and Compliance is no longer treated as a ‘tick-the-box after thought’ according to Paul Hastings (pictured), a quality and compliance consultant.
Hastings, who works for the software outfit with software firm Ideagen, said that globalisation, competition for choice – coupled by the explosion of social media in the last decade –means that businesses need to be operating to the upmost standards under immense scrutiny.
He will present at the upcoming Total Supply Chain Summit in London in May on ‘Quality and Compliance in the Digital Age’ and thinks that modern society is has developed due to the explosion of social media and general consumer and business awareness. This means that quality and compliance are becoming more inclusive.
He said: “Quality is becoming a focus of modern day society because people are now more aware of the choices out there. If you look back to quality as it was in years gone by, there were limited choices – or limited knowledge of choices – and so businesses weren’t under as much competition for market share. For example, if you were buying a computer, you bought an IBM or Compaq (who they, Ed?) or if you’re going to get a soft drink you bought a Pepsi or a Coke.
“But now, when you look at the competition, there is so much choice and knowledge for consumers that any business not maintaining consistent quality levels or operating to the appropriate standards will struggle. It is literally forcing every single business to do things better to stay ahead of the game. In terms of quality and compliance, this in turn is forcing organisations to look at both areas more seriously, introducing dedicated software systems and electronic processes to help. No longer is it the responsibility of the Quality Manager or the Quality Department – it is becoming much more inclusive and involving everyone from the C-suite down.”
Hastings said: “Businesses are being forced to modernise. They need to become more productive, more efficient and more streamlined and to be able to respond faster as well. It’s a good time for quality and compliance within the global business space.”
“Globalisation and the impact of social media have played a huge part in helping quality and compliance become more mainstream. “The interconnectivity of the world is a mega trend across all industries now – every company has a global market. For example, if you look at the car industry the likes of Honda, Mitsubishi, BMW and Volkswagon etc, all have a global market for their brand. Looking at companies such as Pepsi and Coca Cola again, as well as the likes of McVities and Walkers – all of them have global brands. If their standards slip – it could be catastrophic for them.
“Solid productivity and efficiency processes have to be in place to help these companies manage their global operations and this is where society is playing its part. You can’t have a global brand operating different quality processes in Paris than they do, in say, Sydney. Social media and the interconnectivity of the modern world means that simply isn’t possible now – the scrutiny is too much.
“People and businesses now have an understanding that quality and compliance management should be at the forefront of business’ strategy and, therefore, the responsibility of everyone. That can only be a good thing for global business and, in turn, the consumer.”
The Total Supply Chain Summit brings together coordination professionals and key industry solution providers. The Summit consists of one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars, and networking opportunities. The event takes place over two days on Monday, 20- 21 May.
