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The new face of corporate quality

Bridging the gap between quality and business outcomes

OVERVIEW

Known for years as the group that delivered the final yea or nay on products, Quality specialists earned a reputation as internal firefighters that had little to do with growth and innovation.

As a result, Quality departments have become outdated and marginalized by the rest of the business.

Creating a Strategic Quality Advisor role bridges the gap between Quality and the business. It can spark the first crucial changes across the operating model, linking Quality’s performance to successful business outcomes.

Part scientist, part diplomat, the Strategic Quality Advisor is embedded within business units—baked into business processes from R&D to Procurement.

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KEY FINDINGS

Quality must change from something done to the business to something created in conjunction with the business.
Quality team members need to raise their business acumen to speak the business’ language, marrying their suggestions with corporate direction, goals and priorities.


Digital technologies offer Quality a bridge from being reactive to proactive.
Six out of 10 companies that already have built a digital foundation say they are deriving benefits in quality and service improvement.


Embedding a Strategic Quality Advisor in the business brings digital and business savvy to Quality.
By 2025, we see 56 percent of Quality’s time being devoted to predictive measures and just 44 percent on reactivity. A Strategic Quality Advisor will push proactive hours continually higher.

More than 70% of stakeholders report being unclear about the quality function

RECOMMENDATIONS

To establish the role of the Strategic Quality Advisor, companies need to re-align their operating model. Leadership teams can start by:

Mapping the Strategic Quality Advisor role

Mapping the Strategic Quality Advisor role
Take stock of business needs to determine where advisors should sit.

Swapping the lab coat for a suitcoat

Swapping the lab coat
for a suitcoat
Hire Quality employees with a digital and business focus.

Equipping Quality with digital tools

Equipping Quality with digital tools
Focus on predictive analytics for proactivity.

Shifting the mindset of the organization

Shifting the mindset
of the organization
Quality is not there to police. It is there to support innovation in a safe, effective way.

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CASE STUDIES

Read how leading companies are taking Quality to the next level with a Strategic Quality Advisor.

Click here to read the Aztrazeneca Case Study. Aztrazeneca turns quality into a key competitive advantage. This opens a new window.


READ THE ASTRAZENECA CASE STUDY

Click here to read the Danone Case Study. Danone Brings Business Acumen to the Quality Sourcing Role. This opens a new window.


READ THE DANONE CASE STUDY

AUTHORS

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