"One of the things that a technical solution has got to provide in this Big-Q quality approach is real-time feedback to the process owner. The idea of process ownership is critical to this model because this is where we shift away from making quality being responsible for quality. Instead, each process owner becomes responsible for managing their process in real time through a dashboard. They monitor the interactions of their process with other processes, and they see in real time how they're performing and how they can adjust their process as they go along.''
This snippet from our "TQM to Quality 4.0: Rethinking embedded quality" webinar highlights technology as an enabler of embedded quality. In the second episode of our two-part series, we'll delve deeper into the intersection of technology and Quality 4.0. For this engaging session we invited Quality/Product Integrity Expert John Blankensop and AlisQI Co-founder and CPO Gerben de Haan to discuss the role of technology in supporting excellence across the organization.
Read this short summary of the webinar's key topics. To enjoy the examples and helpful tips shared in this webinar, we recommend signing up here to view the entire session on demand.
The role of technology in embedding quality
In episode 7 of our Quality Talks webinar, we discussed the significant drawbacks of traditional quality management, in which quality is centralized and separated from the entire organization. We've also drawn a parallel to Quality 4.0 and pitched a new paradigm where excellence is embedded throughout the organization. There is no doubt that technology plays a huge part in switching to the embedded Big-Q quality approach. But what should manufacturers look for in terms of technological support?
Answering this question, guest speaker John Blankensop focused on solutions that can effectively manage process interactions across the entire organization. The ideal platform should not only define connections between business processes but actively manage their interactions - specifically, the crucial handoffs where outputs from one process become inputs for another. These interaction points represent critical moments of performance where quality and timeliness expectations must be met.
Gerben de Haan looked at the characteristics of a QMS and highlighted how much flexibility this provides to manage process interactions. "A QMS should allow you to define your own processes. Because no two businesses are alike, you don't want the system to be identical to another or a predefined solution because quality needs to be embedded in each and every process. That means you'll need to be able to tailor to quite some extent."
Gerben also added that manufacturers should first focus on defining the processes, start gathering data and measure performance. The implementation of technology should follow in support of this first step.
The hardest part when implementing technology
Just like convincing leadership to change to the embedded quality mindset, implementing technology also has its challenges. According to Gerben, "buying software is fairly easy, configuring it is a bit harder. But managing the change and getting alignment in the organization making sure that everyone is adopting the software as it's intended, that's the hardest part and that's what we see that most quality managers struggle with."
To be successful, everyone across the organization would need to understand the WHY behind the change. The speakers also shared tips on how to ensure that this message comes across and why communicating the goal of this change is essential for the embedded quality framework.
No-code for flexibility and empowerment
When discussing future-proof technology, the benefits of no-code solutions surfaced to the top. Instead of forcing processes to fit rigid software, no-code allows users (not only those with an IT background) to shape the QMS and match their exact needs. This means anyone in the organization can adjust forms, workflows, and business rules without calling IT specialists or external consultants. The real advantage is that as organizations change (which they inevitably will), the QMS can evolve alongside these changing needs. This adaptability ensures that quality management remains effective year after year, while supporting continuous improvement.
The webinar concluded with discussing the role of AI in the future of quality management, examples of successful use cases, and challenging questions from the live audience.
Watch the session in full here.
Sign up for our next Quality Talks episode
If this webinar resonated with you, explore other presentations in our series. Registration is free, and we welcome your questions, recommendations, or topic suggestions. We're thrilled to build our community and develop together in quality management!
