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Tag Archives: customer experienced product quality

The Retail Store Practice: Understanding the customer experience to secure improvements..

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates, Uncategorized

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customer experienced product quality, good business growth, Management Consultancy and Training Development Providers, Robert Vernon Associates

For all buying organisations and their supplier base, especially those working in the international sourcing industry, there is a removal from store practice_edited-1the customer experience and the supply chain. One of the classic examples on the consequences of this removal was in the sourcing of pizza cutters in China about 20 years ago. The local buying team and its vendor produced and supplied the circular knife as per dimensions and colour scheme – except it did not cut!! The team and the factory had no idea what a pizza cutter was! They did not understand the customer experience and probably did not know what a pizza was!

One of the ways to address this removal is to invest in and organise a Store Practice Training programme for co-workers and members of the supplier’s operational management team. The aim of these sessions are to understand, appreciate and help improve the following:

  • The retail and distribution network
  • The customer buying process – the mechanics of the store shelf
  • Understand the customers – Mrs Jones, the kids and her husband!
  • Product and Process Quality Improvements
  • Return as brand ambassadors and customer champions to the office and factory.
  • Start a local supplier development programme at the vendor factory.

My experience of these in-store training programmes was as a 3 days session, based at a retail unit near a distribution centre with opportunities for retail worker and customer interface. The profile of the participants was a mix of buyers, merchandisers, factory operators, supervisors and managers from various suppliers and locations.

The learning outcomes during these days were significant; understanding the product, the packaging requirements, how the stores operated as a sales machines and the application of Good Business Growth  – price, availability, quality and business ethics.

Upon completion of the training programme when everybody returned to their factories or offices, the next important stage of the training was to secure success and a return on investment by implementing a follow up action plan:

  • With presentation to co-workers back at the Office/factory shop floor and about their experience and what they learnt.
  • Create a Customer Champion within their organisation, using the Store Practice training course material as the base for how the Champion and the factory work together.
  • Create an atmosphere of pride, working for and supplying the brand – tied into the 4 Good Business Growth  parameters.

Creating and participating in a Store Practice training  is a considerable time and resources investment. The return on that investment can be considerable in:

  • Improving product quality and development at the suppliers
  • Align all parts in the supply chain to a core set of values and business idea.
  • Open the channels for cost savings and improvement just by seeing what happens in the retail and distribution process.
  • Create a’WE and not us and them..

A Store Practice training programme provides development and improvement opportunities for all participants including the retail co-workers. And finally it secures that pizzas can be cut by a knife that is sold, supplied and made by people who care about quality, price, ethics and is actually available for Mrs Jones and her family to buy.

Quality: The Buyer – Factory Meeting

01 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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customer experienced product quality, Quaity

Quality 6 basics

At the supplier – buyer factory visit what  should be the agenda for a quality assurance meeting? Based on my own experience, whether it was textiles, furniture or ceramic/metal there are five basics that provide a framework for both parties to work with when at the factory:

  • The Business Report
  • The Quality Inspections
  • Safe and Durable
  • Packaging
  • Customer Experience Product Quality

1. The Business Report: To assure maintenance and continuity in the quality work there shall be a written document for every visit. A brief, points driven hardcopy produced by the buyer, that follows up  previous reports and records the latest actions with noted responsibilities for the supplier or buyer.

The agenda points for the factory visit:

2. The Quality Inspections: The results and notes from current and previous product inspections at the different manufacturing stages are sample checked during the visit. One of the key aspects to these quality inspections should be the viewpoint – is it through customer eyes or to a technical compliance in the specifications? Each viewpoint is valid. Both parties should have already agreed at what stage and to what criteria these inspections are conducted.

3. Safe and durable: This part of the factory visit  is very much about securing the product performance in terms of function and safe use by the customer.

  • Review product test requirements to secure that they are fully understood by both buyer and factory.
  • The product tests are conducted correctly and in the right conditions.
  • Approved external and in house testing facilities are used during the product tests.
  • Full documented test reports are available and valid.
  • Material Safety Data Sheets are available and valid.

4. The Packaging: Check that the packing materials, containers and their on site storage secures the specified performance requirements. Confirm that the materials are neat and clean and during specific seasons will not degrade because of the weather conditions.

5. Customer Experience Product Quality CEPQ: Both buyer and supplier review their customer focus throughout the factory operation in terms of the following.

  • Durability and Function: Confirm the performance of the material and components to secure that the product does ‘what it says on the tin’.
  • Safe to Use: Assure the correct chemical and substance content in the product. Confirm the security of small and loose parts.
  • Well Designed Product: Review design briefs and specifications. If the product is part of a range, secure its modularity e.g. correct dimensions, consistent and true colour/shades.
  • Customer Friendly: What is the after use appearance, are the buttons, switches convenient. Is the packaging sufficient and recyclable. Assembly and installation is easy for the customer.

Conclusion:

The factory visit by the buyers technical or commercial team should be a very hands on operational activity. They are excellent opportunities to achieve alignment  if the meetings are within a structured framework of a practical agenda. The above are my suggestion for that framework. Two of the above I would like to stress as a must – The Business Report to secure continuity over time and changing personnel and CEPQ to secure customer quality.

One last point: stick with sandwiches for lunch when on factory visits!!

Mark K. Astley  Robert Vernon Associates

Quality Improvement: The Learning Box

20 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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customer experienced product quality, good business growth, Learning Box, Quality Drivers

Learning BoxDuring the early 1980’s the Quality Circle idea took hold in the electronic and automotive industry. One of the most famous case histories of its successful implementation was at Jaguar cars in the UK, where the workforce from top management to shop floor operator formed teams to understand and improve build quality. At the start of implementation they were not producing jaguars but dogs!! Since then of course the company has gone from strength to strength and they now produce a world renowned quality product.

Quality Circles are a great tool for an inclusive approach in a factory/service operation improvement programme . However, they can still be a bit formal and are essentially led by management as they work with an agenda base and a meeting protocol that is data driven with extended corrective action lead-times.

A more informal, inclusive, customer focused and flexible approach to Quality Circles was developed during my 10 years working in South Asia with IKEA – The Learning Box.

A Learning Box is a container or designated area for rejected articles/materials. This can be the existing facilities in the production inspection areas, either in process or at the end. It is important to label these facilities as the Learning Box for all to see including customers.

Before the well designated Learning Box’s are emptied and remedial work is conducted, the contents should be reviewed, analysed and actions agreed on how to avoid similar rejects/issues happening again. This activity needs to be done on an exceptionally regular basis with selected members of production; the operators, supervisors and managers. It should be an open platform, with a no blame culture, treating the contents of the Learning Box as valuable material in the drive to secure improvements and grow a Customer Experienced Product Quality approach.

Factory’s and organisations can find their own way to do this, dependent upon conditions, culture and opportunity. However, the main points to include in this approach are:

  • Be CUSTOMER FOCUSED and driven
  • Wherever possible work ‘bottom up’ – everybody has the possibility to contribute.
  • Make the analysis of reject articles as regular as possible
  • Find solutions – not who is to blame?
  • If the solution is ‘more inspection’, then it’s not a solution and the chosen method of working with the Learning Box is not working.
  • A solution is a corrective action and it must be as immediate as possible.
  • Use the inspection records to help in the review /analysis. This will provide valuable trends and patterns in helping to find the best possible course of action.
  • Make it a team effort – publicise the team’s work and results throughout the operation.
  • Use the Learning Box to create interest and involvement in all sections of the workforce.
  • Must include a factory operator who has been selected, trained and designated as the Customer Champion. Someone who can use customer eyes in the Learning Box discussions.
  • Include whenever possible the client and customers, so that their valuable input and contribution can be included.

This activity should be informal – avoiding as much administration, data presentations and form filling as possible. The result of the Learning Box should be an improved product quality. However the why to a Learning Box are:

It provides organisations with the opportunity to learn from mistakes and the responsibility to use the different skills and knowledge in their operations to find solutions. By involving as many levels in the workforce as possible, the quality message can be driven through all areas, not just in the inspection/compliance department. Everybody should be working to achieve a Customer Experienced Product Quality.

Mark K. Astley – Robert Vernon Associates Ltd.

Price with a meaning..

31 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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CEPQ, customer experienced product quality, Price with a meaning

price with a meaning

When talking about the price of a service or product we all know the maxim ‘you get what you pay for’. Of course there is no reality to this! No matter how low the price, if it doesn’t do what it says on the tin or is actually very poor doing it, then its expensive!!

When I worked for IKEA the big statement when designing, sourcing, working with factories and communicating with customers was ‘low price with a meaning‘. Just to have a cheap product with poor functionality, design, quality and ethically unsound has no meaning!! Everything has to have a value no matter the price.

How can organisations achieve low price with a meaning? As with all things it requires the virtuous circle of the following:

The Price: Achieving a low price requires a concentration on high volume, with a high degree of industrialisation to secure the most efficient production process. Raw materials are secured in terms of sourcing, specification, availability and all within a transparent supply chain..

Supply Chain Agility: A forecast and order planning system that shrinks the distance between the point of sales and the factory. Regular shipments with stock having a status of evil! Implementing a supplier matrix set up of 70-30. Split the sourcing between two factories, securing high production utilisation at the 70% factory and the rest as a security back up at a newer supplier being developed for future business.

Secure Product Quality: Please see my previous  article CEPQ – Customer Experienced Product Quality

Socially and Environmentally Assured: Secure the following basics:

  • Transparent and well supervised supply base including sub suppliers and contractors to the direct vendor factories.
  • Secure legal, clean and efficient factory supply.
  • Well managed labour in the supply chain – no child labour, no excessive hours etc..
  • A legal and well paid workforce securing an efficient and motivated factory.

The Product Design: See my previous LinkedIn article Democratic Design..

Everything that is made and supplied must have a meaning. It should be part of a company’s intrinsic value whether they are in the low volume/high price or the mass volume competitive market. Its all part of Good Business Growth…

Whatever the market, products have to be competitive, design and quality assured, produced and supplied by companies that care! As Apple Inc and IKEA have proven; customers buy why and not always the what !!

Quality is defined by customer experience..

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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CEPQ, customer experienced product quality, Quality Drivers, Robert Vernon Associates, RVA

CEPQ_LinkedIn Banner

When boiling down to the main parameters for a business to succeed, it has to secure the following; competitiveness, availability, sustainability, good product design and quality. This means a customer offer that provides a well designed, competitively priced product on the store/warehouse shelves, supplied by a company that cares about society and the environment. And of course great product quality?

How can a company move quality further into the business, engaging all operations and not just the Technicians and Quality Managers. Quality is an essential part of good business growth..

Over the last 30 years there have been many quality improvement programmes and concepts developed and implemented. This has seen the use of science/maths equations, black/green/yellow belts and manuals full of procedures and directives. These improvement programmes have made great strides in improving service and product quality. However, they have been and are essentially the tools for quality technicians and managers.

As a business driver Quality needs to be concise and standardised for a more holistic understanding and participation by everybody. This starts with understanding the customer, it is only their experience of a product/service quality that determines success or failure. The best  approach to customer quality I have worked with are the following 4 definitions of Customer Experienced Product Quality – CEPQ:

  1. Durability and Function: What is the performance of the material and components to secure that the product does ‘what it says on the tin’.
  2. Safe to Use: What shall be the product’s chemical and substance content. What is the security of small and loose parts.
  3. Well Designed Product: Clear design briefs and specifications. If the product is part of a range, is it modular e.g. correct dimensions, consistent and true colour/shades.
  4. Customer Friendly: What is the after use appearance, are the buttons, switches etc convenient. Is the packaging sufficient and recyclable. Assembly and installation is easy for the customer.

Using the above 4 CEPQ headings, a company can devise their own points to secure according to their customer’s profile, operational and product range requirements. Once devised, these CEPQ points are then used as integral inputs for design/development, manufacturing and quality assurance management.

Irrespective of which Quality management systems a company employs i.e. ISO 9000, Six Sigma, TQM, Lean Manufacturing etc. – Quality is defined by the customer experience. Therefore CEPQ shall drive all these systems and similiar used in the supply chain.

Everything is connected; achieving a competitive price, secured availability at point of sale and a sustainability for the product and the company is difficult without assured quality. Implementing and securing good Customer Experienced Product Quality is vital to secure for any company’s Good Business Growth..

RVA helps business to achieve Good Business Growth, please contact us for further details and discussions on how we can work together.. Mark K. Astley – Robert Vernon Associates Ltd.

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  • A new angle on Good Business…
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  • The Retail Store Practice: Understanding the customer experience to secure improvements..

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