Quality tools or quality systems applied to innovation environments are frequently reported to have a catastrophic impact. Strangling creativity, tying researchers up in a corset of rules, wasting resources on filling pointless forms. One reason for this depressing outcome might be the confusion of quality tools and quality concepts.
Quality concepts on the other hand, even so aiming at prevention of low process performance as well, are less rigid and might be seen as the essence of a given quality tool. Quality concepts are not environment specific, not necessarily standardised and formalised and – if applied smartly – not necessarily a drain on resources. Quality concepts fit to the requirements of an innovation process and are both relevant and necessary.
Applying quality concepts to real life is rather simple. Existing quality tools like SOP Systems, Qualification Systems or Change Control Systems can be used as an inspiration, a warehouse of ideas to select from. From there on, the underlying concept of these tools is identified and assessed with regard to the relevance for a given innovation process.
This is a preview of the next PERMANENTs Newsletter. Full downloadable PDF will soon be available here: https://www.dr-henrich.com/publications/permanents/