What are the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing a Quality Management methodology?
Let’s start here. If you like my answer, we’ll continue. First, quality cannot be managed. Quality is an adjective and its definition is subjective. However, the things it modifies, such as business, process, or product can be managed. As a former college professor and professional consultant once said, “You cannot manage what you cannot measure.” That is your first CSF – a measurable factor that your company or customer says is critical to its success. Second, success is a word like quality. It is more often used as an adjective just as you did (“success factors”). Therefore it too is highly subjective. When it modifies things like profit, political advantage (also murky), or process improvement (measurable as time savings, cost reduction, etc.) then you have the next portion of CSF. CSFs are therefore highly subjective but very discrete when properly defined. By discrete I mean: Measureable Agreeable (usually between customer and supplier) Repeatable Reproducible Documented Also, dis
