Indian must focus on service design and believe in its main asset – its people.
To telescopically look into the future one needs to reflect on the past. At least in the macro. India Plated a significant role in the history of quality. Globally. A significant reference to India in History of Managing for Quality edited by the quality guru, Dr J. M. Juran, bears testimony to this.
Greek-historian Herodotus recorded the first known reference to cotton growth in India. “Certain wild trees dear wool instead of fruit, which in beauty and quality excels that of a sheep; and the Indian make their clothing from these trees” Arab traveller in the 9th-century reported that “in this country they make garments sewed and woven to such a degree of fineness, they may be drawn through a ring of moderate size”
Europe used to look up to Indian expertise in manufacture. Much of the gold used in the Persian empire, in the 5th-century before Christ, came from India. The art of tempering and casting iron developed in India long before its appearance in Europe; Vikramaditya, erected at Delhi (circa 380 AD) an iron pillar that stands untarnished after 16 centuries. And the quality of metal, or manner of treatment which has preserved it from rust or decay, is still a mystery to modern science. The industrial revolution taught Europe to scale up manufacturing operations more cheaply, and the Indian industry faded into obscurity.
Today, India stands at the threshold of a new WTO-driven economy, with her industry having cost off its inhibitions and ready for the global market. The future there are strong indications, will redefine the term quality. From the original product quality and contemporary process quality, to quality of management performance. Quality of management performance entails a complex combination of factors and process sandwiched between an input of leadership and an output of customers satisfaction. In addition to ISO 9000 requirements, the basic system will envelope human resources, communication, information technology, costing, marketing, distribution, quality/business indicators, problem solving and customer relations. Each element of the upgraded system will need to be creativity innovated and improved continually. The degree of balance in the elements will be measurable. Global customers will derive assurance in their supplier relation through the rating of management performance Quality rating of management performance will be the prequalification for complex international business relationships. And joint costing of customer-supplier processes, will be the requirement for establishing the contract.
Through international competition, viability will be established by high quality and low cost, However, to achieve this we will require a ‘high-trust’ culture. High trust does, and will give one the ability to develop mutually beneficial partnership inside and outside the organisation. In turn one cannot achieve a high-trust culture without being principle centered. Trust evolves from principles.
A high-trust culture bring together idealism and pragmatism. How can one empower people if we do not have high-trust? Empowerment and quality will be totally integrated in a high-trust culture.
In future people will be a valuable corporate asset. As a result, leaders seeking gains from human performance will have to believe in its super-potential. After all, human resource will be the only ‘appreciating’ asset of the organisation. Goethe sais “Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is; treat a man has he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be”. Only a belief in unseen human potential can create a cut in the global economy.
One of the key service-quality challenges in the next decade will be service design - a form of architecture that involves processes rather than brick and mortar. The aim will be to design high quality into the service system from the outset. In other words, to consider and respond to customers’ expectations in designing each element of the service along the QFD (quality function deployment) path. Technology will enhance the quality of service. The dimensions of service-quality will be tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
Excellent service will be key to a better future - for those who give service and those who receive it; for companies that make things and for companies labeled as service businesses; our country’s pride and its economic competitiveness. What future is in store for our citizens, communities, industries, economy, and national self-respect if service is slovenly, uncaring and incompetent?
CREDITS: Suresh Lulla, Founder and Mentor, Qimpro Consultants Pvt. Ltd.