Quality consistently ranks among organizations’ foremost competitive priorities; it’s a prerequisite for success in the global marketplace. Firms that want a competitive edge do it by delivering products that meet customer needs and function as intended.

Despite the long-standing emphasis on the importance of quality in business, its actual contribution to business performance has been relatively unrealized. Quality is often the first department that gets deprioritized in the midst of company financial stress. Often, it’s viewed as an overhead expense that can be decentralized into other departments in an attempt to save money. Poor short-term decisions around quality lead to big financial, customer relationship, and workforce morale issues down the road, leaving companies and their customer base in a state of risk.

In fact, quality is the foundation for a competitive advantage, even when a firm’s immediate focus may shift toward concerns like speed to market, cost reduction, and other operational considerations.

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