What does quality mean to us at Certain?
When we talk about quality, many people think of procedures, documentation, nonconformities and audits. But quality is about much more than that. It is also about how we work together, share knowledge, listen to our customers and learn from our experience.
We work with quality in different ways, whether that means developing good solutions, following up our customers or making room for continuous improvement.
Morten
Morten works on developing Certain as a company and making it possible for both employees and customers to succeed. We asked him what he believes matters most for building a culture where everyone contributes to good quality and continuous improvement.
“The most important thing is that it is easy to take part in quality work. Everyone must quickly find what they need to do the job right, and it must be easy to contribute when something can be done better. That is management’s responsibility, and it is the principle we develop Certain QMS by: we use it in our own quality work, and the solution must be so simple that the whole organisation adopts it.”
Simen
Simen works on the development of Certain QMS and stays close to both users’ needs and the priorities set for the product. For him, quality is first and foremost about solving the right problems.
“The most important thing we do is understand the users before we build anything. Bug-free code does little good if we have solved the wrong problem. That is why we keep close contact with our customers, listen to feedback and look at how the system is used in practice. That way we build what solves real problems, not what we think people need.”
Benedicte
Benedicte works on implementing and following up customers who use Certain QMS. She cares about understanding customers’ needs and building good partnerships that last.
“For me, quality starts with understanding what the customer really needs. It is about listening, asking the right questions and sometimes challenging a little. I also believe much of the quality lies in the small things we do every day, such as being clear about expectations, keeping our promises and building trust. I want our customers to see us as more than a system vendor: as a sparring partner who shares experience and helps them succeed.”
Small improvements every day
World Quality Week is a good opportunity to step back and think about how we work with quality day to day. What works well for us? What could we make simpler or better? And are we good enough at learning from our experience?
Because quality is not only about having good routines in place, but also about being open to new ideas, learning from experience and making improvements along the way.
