Real estate bubble, subprime mortgages, financial system, stock markets, and finally, Main Street. The deepest crisis in decades is here, monopolizing media’s headlines, freezing our economies and strongly affecting us not only as citizens (or should I say consumers?) but also as quality professionals within our organizations.

This brief article provides an overview on how the quality function should positively affect an organization's bottom-line results, contributing in a very visible and accountable way to its sustainable success—even its survival. Quality is not only for dead calm times.

What is going on?

Simply put, the economic slowdown—clearly entering the heart of recession as I write this article—is severely impacting employment numbers and production needs. Obviously, companies are aligning their work force according to new activity levels.

Job cuts are not limited to blue-collar positions; they have extended to white-collar positions as well. Quality positions outside of the production line are being targeted. Because their contribution to the organization's bottom-line are often not clear enough, they are more vulnerable than ever.

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