World Quality Day !

 

World Quality Day is celebrated annually on the second Thursday in November to assist with raising the profile and feature the positive impact of quality on organizations. The day was intended to raise worldwide awareness of the significant contribution that quality makes towards both organizational and national growth and prosperity.

Quality is an important aspect of everything we do, including how businesses and organisations function. As such, a special day has been created to draw attention to the importance of quality issues, and it’s known as “World Quality Day.” 

The day’s purpose is to promote the awareness of quality around the world, as well as encourage growth and prosperity for individuals and organisations through the implementation of strong quality standards.  

History of World Quality Day

World Quality Day is usually celebrated on the second Thursday of November each year. The day was created by the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), a professional organisation based in London. The CQI was created in 1919, and today, it has a membership of 4000.

In some locations, the observance of World Quality Month accompanies World Quality Day. Japan has observed World Quality Month in November since 1960, while China has observed its own “Quality Month” since 1978. The United States and Canada have observed “National Quality Month” since 1988. World Quality Day itself was recognied by the United Nations in 1990.

The theme of CQI 2021 World Quality Week (#WQW21) is Sustainability: improving our products, people and planet. The focus will be on quality's role in sustainability and its environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact.

What Is Quality?

ISO 9001 is the most widely adopted quality management systems standard in the world – it defines quality as: The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object  fulfils requirements.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines quality as: 

“How good or bad something is.”

“A characteristic or feature that something has; something that can be noticed as part of a person or thing.” 

“A high level of value or excellence.”

It’s all of these goals, but especially the third one, that you’re likely to be striving for as an individual, organisation or business.

Professionals pursuing quality goals will first and foremost protect and enhance the reputation of their organisation by focusing on the needs of its stakeholders. Ideally, they’ll ensure the organisation meets any and all of its goals and requirements.

Why Quality Matters

Building a reputation for quality is important for several reasons, including:

Customer satisfaction. Customers expect products or services that meet their requirements. If they don’t get the quality they’re looking for, they’ll switch to another provider. For businesses, quality products can also allow you to charge and maintain higher prices.

Meeting standards. Depending on the service or product, it might be important for a company or organisation to obtain accreditation to a recognied quality standard. Companies dealing with medicine, food and electrical goods must comply with regulations for health and safety. Certification can also give companies an edge in showing their products have been independent

Organisation improvements can be encouraged by the use of qualitative and quantitative measures, root cause analysis and adopting effective new techniques. 

For instance,

• Quality management standards to help work more efficiently and reduce product failures.
• Environmental management standards to help reduce environmental impacts, reduce waste and be more sustainable.
• Health and safety standards to help reduce accidents in the workplace.
• Energy management standards to help cut energy consumption.
• Food safety standards to help prevent food from being contaminated.

With so many options available to customers, you may be wondering whether or not quality still matters. The answer is a resounding “yes,” and quality isn’t just about offering a product or service that exceeds the standard, but it’s also about the reputation you gain for consistently delivering a customer experience that is “above and beyond.” 

Regardless of what industry you’re involved in, your customers aren’t going to choose you solely based on price, but often on quality. In fact, studies have shown that customers will pay more for a product or service that they think is made well or exceeds the standard. Your customers expect you to deliver quality service.

Quality is a key differentiator in a crowded market. It’s the reason that Apple can price its iPhone higher than any other mobile phone in the industry – because the company has established a long history of delivering superior products.

If you fail to meet customers' expectations, they will quickly look for alternatives. Quality is critical to satisfying your customers and retaining their loyalty so they continue to avail service from you in the future!!