Quality – What Does it Really Mean?

The term "Quality" has become the mantra of businesses around the world, but what does it really mean? A dictionary definition suggests that quality is a "degree of excellence." Who decides the proper degree? Is it the responsibility of a QC team to announce to the world what quality means? Is quality relative?

At ANKOM Technology we realize that it's the customer that ultimately determines quality. For most, quality is the sum total of many parts. An organization that focuses on quality management looks not just at manufacturing, but at every aspect of their operations. Our goal is to deliver "Total Satisfaction." We are successful when you, the customer, feels delighted with every aspect of your dealings with us. From the quality of our products to the quality of our service, we want you to see ANKOM Technology as a role model that others should follow.

Our quality process begins with you. We seek input from people involved in the industries we support. We use formal surveys, telephone communications and records of your independent communications with us to establish a quality benchmark. We listen to the needs you identify and attempt to develop products and services that will address those needs. Because we seek innovation, many times our solutions go beyond your identified feature. For instance, in the past, technicians that performed fiber analysis might have said, "I need to have a pre-built filtration module to help me complete the filtering step."

Does the technician want a filtration module, or does the real need suggest a simplification of the entire process. Comments like the one of the technician and others involved in fiber analysis led ANKOM Technology to the development of Filter Bag Technology. We saw the real need to be simplification. The customer wanted to have a system that delivered accuracy and precision consistently, easily and in a cost-effective manner.

Our quality process is simple. It starts with the customer and the input we compile on your needs, desires, expectations and requirements. We take that data and begin the process of Assessment. We ask questions like, how can we improve the customers situation? What are the opportunities? How can we deliver the most value? Does our company have the tools, or core competencies to address the customers needs? What benefits are the users looking for? Can we deliver a real value? Can we make a difference? If we can answer those questions satisfactorily, we enter the Plan stage of our process.

The Plan stage is where we identify the key results we must achieve to consider the process successful. We identify the improvements required and build working teams to monitor each step we take. This team is not just a group of researchers and manufacturing types. Each team includes input from varying disciplines. We want our teams to see the big picture at all times. The team must keep a central question in focus throughout the process, "Are we satisfying a customer need in a way that presents a true value?"

As we work to address customer satisfaction, we continue to keep the customer in mind. We monitor the marketplace to see what changes might effect our product development process. We look to see if new technologies change the direction that we are taking. We attempt to identify regulatory issues that may have an impact on what we are trying to accomplish. This is a critical stage, because it is during this time that we lay the foundation for the next step.

After we have made our assessments and planned our delivery we start the Do stage. It's at this stage that we implement the plan. Because each project is unique, the implementation varies. The Do stage is never static. In some cases the implementation process requires only a small team to carryout the key actions. In other situations implementation requires larger cross-functional teams of both internal and external personnel. We may have to work with a team of researchers to verify specific data, or we may have to seek manufacturing capabilities that we lack. The Do stage requires attention to detail. ANKOM Technology looks for Quality Improvement, not just Quality Control. We look to deliver innovation, not just imitation. It's at this stage that we seek to solve problems and further identify opportunities. Quality takes on a new meaning as we deliver what you, the customer, needs and expects.

As you can see from the diagram above, the Quality Management Process at ANKOM Technology is continuous. The cycle is never-ending, because quality is not a once achieved always-believed result. Needs and expectations change, and the company that does not keep up with the customer will not succeed.

We don't doubt that there have been times when we missed the mark of a particular customer. But this we know, ANKOM Technology will seek continuous improvement in all that we do. We will seek to deliver Total Customer Satisfaction at every opportunity and we will always seek to know the "mind of the customer." We will strive to walk in your shoes and "feel" your needs. We will seek and accept your input at all possible times.