Page 72 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

he importance of the quality function within the organization has
been evolving along with that of the customer. Figure 4.1 illus trates
Tthe evolution of the quality function’s role since the mid-1970s.
Edosomwan (1993) defines a customer- and market-driven enterprise
as one that is committed to providing excellent quality and competitive
products and services to satisfy the needs and wants of a well-defined
market segment. This approach is in contrast to that of the traditional
organization, as shown in Table 4.1.
Customer-driven organizations share certain traits.

Flattened hierarchies. When customers are the focus, a larger percentage
of the resources are directly or indirectly involved with customers (see
Figure 4.2), reducing the number of bureaucratic layers in the organization
struc ture. Employees will be empowered to make decisions that
immediately address customer issues, reducing the need for structured
oversight. The traditional functional hierarchy, with departments
focused on singular functions, is best replaced with horizontal
process or product-based structures that can quickly respond to
customer need.
Adaptable processes. Customers’ demands are at times unpredictable,
requiring adaptability and potential risk. Customer-driven organiza-
tions create adaptable systems that remove bureaucratic impediments
such as formal approval mechanisms or excessive dependence on
written procedures. Employees are encouraged to act on their own
best judgments. If the organization’s employees are unionized, the
changing roles will require union partnering in the transformation
process. Union representatives should be involved in all phases of the
transformation, including planning and strategy development.
Effective communication. During the transformation the primary task of
the leadership team is the clear, consistent, and unambiguous market-
ing of their vision to the organization.

59

04_Pyzdek_Ch04_p057-060.indd 59 10/29/12 5:55 PM