Qualityworld
Future perfect?
This issue we talk to a variety of quality experts to discover their opinions about where the industry is going and what skills the future quality professional will need to succeed
This issue we talk to a variety of quality experts to discover their opinions about where the industry is going and what skills the future quality professional will need to succeed
The quality industry constantly faces an ever-changing process of improvement and adaptation. Standing still is likely to see you or your organisation lose custom, reputation or fail altogether. Keeping an eye on the future is necessary to guide us in our development and so succeed in our business.
'The future is indeed exciting ... quality professionals will be found championing the culture of opportunity within their organisations'
Michael Debenham
However, those who trumpet news of the latest developments may not have the panacea they think. Knowing which is which requires skill and insight. Over the following pages we explore what the future may have in store. First we will hear from some well-known quality leaders, then current professionals in the public and private sectors, and finally academics and students reveal their visions of what the future holds.
- Ian Ronksley
- Adrian Furnham
- Michael Debenham
- Joseph De Feo
- John Oakland
- Girdhar Gyani
- the government viewpoint
Ian Ronksley
Assessment manager, UKAS
Quality is and always will be important. However, quality (using ISO 9001 as an example) has tended receive bad press for a number of years, and for a number of reasons.
I believe that this is now universally recognised and that most 'players' (ie auditors, certification bodies and accreditation bodies) are beginning to address this for the benefit of both the quality industry and for the purchasers of services from the quality industry.
For example, the recognition of the need to add value during quality assessments, as well as relating any deficiencies within a management system to the risk to which it exposes the operator of that system, is receiving greater acknowledgement and acceptance. This is an approach that requires sufficiently competent people to properly implement it, which is a challenge for all of us.
It is always difficult to predict the future but I believe more focus needs to be given – and is now being given – to ensuring the competence of quality professionals, no matter what position they might hold within the industry. This is as applicable to quality consultants as it is to those of us who work in the certification/accreditation sector. Therefore, an emphasis on competence is something I expect to see in the next five years (or preferably much sooner).
In my role I still see many organisations that view the implementation of a quality system as a necessity forced upon them by their customers, or as a 'trophy' to cherish, rather than being a management tool that can really help the organisation become better at what it does. I would like this message to be communicated and understood by all organisations developing and implementing quality systems, and also by the quality industry.
In my experience, the public sector in the past has always appeared very supportive of quality and implementing quality initiatives, but cost was always a major factor. On one hand we were attempting to provide the best quality services but didn't have the financial resources to do this. On the other, we were requiring organisations tendering for contracts to be quality assured. But again, we often ended up with the cheapest provider, whose quality could prove questionable over time. This is likely to remain an issue for the public sector wherever and whenever resources are limited, so I am not sure if this is something that can be readily fixed in the future.
I believe that everyone working in the quality industry should be competent. Competence is not something that is achieved solely by education or qualification but is a mix of these two elements together with relevant knowledge and experience (and a demonstrated ability to apply this).
As long as available mechanisms, whatever they might be, produce competent professionals, I am less concerned how this will be achieved. I have, however, encountered individuals many times in my career who, on paper, look to be the 'bees knees', then found that this has on occasion proven not to be the case.
