EQUATION for QUALITY: Cost + Satisfaction + Outcomes = Value

EQUATION for QUALITY: Cost + Satisfaction + Outcomes = Value

“Quality is not an act. It is a habit.” Aristotle,Greek philosopher and scientist.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: A KEY FOR SUCCESS

“Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction

and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” – Willa Foster

EQUATION for QUALITY: Cost + Satisfaction + Outcomes = Value

What is Quality Improvement?

Quality Improvement (QI) is any action taken to increase value to the customer or other stakeholder by improving effectiveness and efficiency of processes and activities throughout the organization.Underlying QI is the notion that people can continuously improve all processes and activities through the application of systematic techniques. It also embraces the idea that there should be a relentless, ongoing hunt to eliminate sources of inefficiencies, re-work, errors, waste, and consumer or other stakeholder dissatisfaction. The Japanese use the term “Kaizen” to capture the concept. For them, Kaizen means commitment to excellence and the actual efforts to accomplish ongoing quality improvements. Quality improvement as a philosophy and process relies on each individual in the organization to build quality into every step of service development and delivery. As W. Edwards Deming, a quality founding father, said, “Quality means doing things right the first time.”

QI is a management philosophy and tool, which contends that most things can be improved. This philosophy does not subscribe to the theory that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Very simply, QI is a method of continuously examining processes and outcomes and making them more effective.

In a quality improvement context, defining quality sets the foundation for institutionalizing improvement in an organization. Definitions of quality and philosophies are built on the notion that people want to do their best, want to be involved in decision-making, and want the power to help make things better.

QI is a continuous process--not merely a one-time effort, but an ongoing pursuit. If that sounds at all discouraging, consider the alternative: if an organization does not continue its QI efforts, it runs the risk of returning to the status quo, where processes are difficult, costly and frustrating. A key part of QI, then, is learning to hold on to whatever gains have been achieved. QI can bring about substantial, lasting, and positive change in your organization. It all begins with identifying the opportunities for improvement.

Where Does Quality Improvement Come From?

QI is a set of values, concepts and methods developed from quality principles proposed by early and current quality coaches: W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, Philip B. Crosby, Armand Feigbaum, Robert Hayes, Kaoru Ishikawa, Ken Blanchard, Brian Joiner, Tom Peters,Mikhail Henry (Six Sigma) and many, many others .

QI started in the Japanese and American business community as companies looked for better ways to produce better products and services for their customers. These QI principles, tools,and techniques have been found to work effectively in business and industry for over 40 years.

Quality improvement has been defined within business and industry as meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations, ensuring customer delight, and doing the right things right each time rather than just meeting quotas and numerical goals.

Over the last three decades, QI has spread into healthcare and more recently into education andhuman services. An increasing number of human service provider organizations have turned to QI theories to improve the clinical care, service delivery and operational aspects of their organizations. Its principles have helped to:

• Improve outcomes for consumers

• Improve consumer satisfaction

• Improve workforce retention and satisfaction

• Increase the use of preventive interventions

• Improve the organization/program defined outcomes

• Increase best practices/innovation

• Prevent loss of funding

• Reduce waste

• Reduce re-work

• Reduce errors

• Save resources – a key point for both governmental and non-profit organizations

• Improve processes for persons served/other stakeholders (including effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility, availability, responsiveness,continuity, timeliness, cultural sensitivity/respectfulness, appropriateness,etc.)