I was a whistleblower who exposed fraudulent activities at Ultrasonic Research and Testing Laboratory in Dallas, Texas, back in 1991. The reaction of some people in the nondestructive testing (NDT) community surprised me since the industry is a close-knit group with many connections between individuals.

The purpose of this article is to show different examples of how a quality professional can exert influence on colleagues and team members, without having direct authority over those participants. 

The concept of the map has not been limited to just physical locations. Just think about any activity that would or should be repeated by others. 

An organization should be at least at level 3, Defined Systems Approach, of the Management System Maturity Model to reap the rewards of a culture of excellence.

Even in today’s constantly evolving world, there remains a truism. Those who are more successful produce better results than many of their peers. They do it better and faster than their counterparts. This is not intuitive for everyone. It has to be developed or redefined. 

A company with a highly developed culture of quality spends, on average, $350M less annually fixing mistakes than a company with a poorly developed one (Harvard Business Review, 2014). 

How can a QMS help your organization to achieve a strategic culture of quality? What can you learn from the unique challenges other organizations face in different industries? 

The quality profession has existed for nearly three-quarters of a century. In 1946, quality professionals rallied together to create the American Society for Quality Control. Throughout the association’s 72 years, the profession has evolved as roles and responsibilities have changed and expanded. 

What are the consequences of Quality failures? Most of the time, the costs relate to waste, inefficiency and customer dissatisfaction. Sometimes, simple Quality failures can lead to tragic loss of life, environmental damage, and significant financial liability.

There is a popular logic puzzle often referred to as “The Doors to Heaven and Hell” or “The Two Gates” riddle. It goes something like this: