Total quality: key factor for sustained success according to the ISO 9004:2018 Standard

Introduction

We are immersed in a highly competitive and dynamic market, where companies face the constant challenge of maintaining and achieving sustained success. In this context, Total Quality has become a fundamental tool to achieve this goal, promoting a comprehensive approach that goes beyond simple quality standards. Through the implementation of robust strategies and a genuine commitment to continuous improvement, organizations can transform their operations, improve the customer experience and ensure their long-term stability.

Total Quality focuses on meeting minimum requirements and integrating processes, people and technology to create an ecosystem of excellence. By adopting this approach, companies not only reduce costs and increase efficiency, but also foster an organizational culture based on quality, innovation and sustainable development. This article discusses how Total Quality can be the driving force behind the sustained success that is booming these days, driven further by international standards such as ISO 9004.

What is Total Quality?

Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is a management philosophy that seeks continuous improvement and full customer satisfaction through the integration of all areas and processes of an organization. This approach is based on the idea that quality should be a constant commitment at all levels of the company, from top management down to rank-and-file employees, and encompasses products and services as well as internal processes, customer satisfaction and other relevant stakeholders.

Among some of the most important benefits derived from the implementation of formal improvement programs, based on total quality, we have:

1. Improved customer satisfaction: By focusing on customer needs and expectations, Total Quality ensures that the products or services offered exceed expectations, leading to increased loyalty and sustained competitive advantage.
2. Improved operational efficiency: By eliminating inefficiencies and correcting processes, organizations can optimize resources and reduce costs, contributing to greater profitability.
3. Continuous improvement culture: Encourages a culture of continuous improvement, which means that companies are constantly evaluating and refining their practices to achieve higher levels of quality.
4. Staff empowerment: Involves all levels of the organization in decision-making and process improvement, promotes professional development and employee motivation.
5. Innovation and adaptability: Companies that apply Total Quality are more likely to be innovative and flexible, adapting quickly to market changes and new opportunities.
6. Compliance and certifications: Implementing Total Quality practices can lead to compliance with regulations and obtaining internationally recognized certifications, which reinforces the company’s reputation and credibility.

Total Quality, sustained success and the ISO 9004: 2018 standard

Total Quality is an integral approach that has become an essential tool to achieve sustained success in organizations, which is not limited only to improving products or services, but seeks to optimize all internal processes of the organization, from strategic management to daily operations, ensuring continuous and lasting growth.

Quality in an organization is defined as the degree to which the inherent characteristics meet the needs and expectations of its customers and other interested parties, being essential to achieve sustained success. According to ISO 9000:2015, this quality refers not only to products and services, but also to how the organization comprehensively manages its processes to meet relevant needs and expectations.

On the other hand, it should be emphasized that sustained success in an organization is not only based on immediate customer satisfaction, but on the organization’s ability to maintain and continuously improve its processes and results over time. ISO 9004:2018 provides an essential framework for achieving this sustainable success, focusing on quality management beyond customer satisfaction, addressing also the creation of value for stakeholders and the continuous development of the organization, fundamental aspects in Total Quality approaches.

To achieve sustained success, organizations must go beyond the quality of their products and services, focusing their efforts on anticipating and meeting the different needs of their stakeholders, improving their overall satisfaction. Quality management must be applied in its entirety, emphasizing principles such as customer focus and relationship management. Stakeholders may have aligned, conflicting or changing interests, requiring diverse approaches such as cooperation, negotiation or outsourcing.

Managing for the sustained success of an organization is based on continuous quality improvement by systematically meeting the needs and expectations of its stakeholders over the long term. To achieve this, top management must implement a long-term strategy that supports short- and medium-term objectives.

Recommended practices include: Tracking the organizational context, identifying stakeholders and assessing their needs and expectations, as well as determining and managing risks and opportunities. It is also essential to communicate and promote the mission, vision and values aligned with the organizational culture.

ISO 9004: 2018 refers that organizations should establish clear policies, strategies and objectives, manage resources efficiently and promote consistent processes to achieve expected results. Continuous improvement, learning and innovation are essential to adapt to changes in the environment, promoting effective communication and optimization of internal practices, contributing to sustained success.

Why is Total Quality a key strategy for achieving sustained success?

Total Quality is an essential strategy for organizations to achieve sustained success in a competitive and dynamic environment. This approach integrates continuous improvement, customer satisfaction and resource optimization, strengthening both processes and organizational culture.

• Continuous improvement: This is the basis for sustained success, as it allows organizations to constantly adapt to market demands and maintain high quality standards.
• Customer satisfaction: Placing the customer at the center reinforces loyalty, reduces complaints and generates positive referrals, ensuring long-lasting relationships.
• Positive organizational culture: Engaging employees fosters commitment, motivation and collaborative work, which reinforces the resilience and sustainability of the business.
• Proactive change management: Helps anticipate challenges through technologies, agile processes and data analysis, ensuring long-term competitiveness.
• Operational efficiency: Minimize waste and optimize resources, reduce costs and increase profitability, strengthening sustainability.
• Regulatory compliance and risk management: Ensures regulatory compliance, mitigates risks and creates a secure and reliable business environment.

Based on the previously mentioned, Total Quality not only improves products or services, but also establishes an integral strategic vision to achieve sustainable success over time, based on excellence and adaptability.

Driving Sustained Success: Improvement, Learning and Innovation as Pillars of Total Quality

The implementation of formal Total Quality programs, oriented towards sustained success, requires the integration of three essential elements: improvement, learning and innovation. Thus strengthening organizational performance and creating the basis for competitive and sustainable growth over time.

Improvement: Building superior performance

Organizational improvement seeks to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of processes, products and services, achieving tangible benefits such as cost, time and waste reduction. This allows to satisfy more effectively the expectations of the interested parties, strengthening competitiveness in the long term. For improvement to be effective and sustained, it is essential:

• Empower employees, encouraging their active participation in improvement initiatives.
• Provide adequate resources to facilitate effective change.
• Recognize improvement efforts, encouraging a culture of excellence.
• Ensure senior management commitment, promoting a vision aligned with strategic objectives.

Learning: Transforming experience into strategic knowledge

Organizational learning is the engine that drives continuous improvement and innovation, allowing organizations to adapt their practices in a changing environment. By converting data and information into actionable knowledge, companies strengthen their ability to make strategic decisions, consolidating a sustainable learning culture:

• Deeply analyze data and experiences to improve processes and decisions.
• Integrate individual capabilities with organizational objectives, strengthening strategic alignment.
• Manage knowledge as a key asset, ensuring its updating and availability.

Innovation: Redefining the organizational future

Innovation is a catalyst for sustained success, as it enables the creation of value through new products, services, processes and business models, through which organizations can respond to market needs and lead their transformation. These strategies include:

• Promote creative thinking at all levels of the organization.
• Design agile processes to transform ideas into concrete results.
• Allocate adequate resources to materialize innovative initiatives.

Innovation must be integrated in a cross-cutting manner:

• In technology, products and services, through advanced designs and optimized life cycles.
• In processes, ensuring more efficient and stable methods.
• In organizational structures, adapting configurations that facilitate change.
• In management systems and business models, responding strategically to emerging expectations.

Building a sustainable competitive advantage

The effective articulation of improvement, learning and innovation within a Total Quality framework, as promoted by ISO 9004:2018, is critical for organizations to excel and thrive in the long term. By fostering a culture based on these pillars, companies manage to adapt to dynamic environments, and ensure sustained success backed by operational and strategic excellence.

Conclusions

The implementation of Total Quality as an integral strategy for sustained success allows organizations to position themselves in highly competitive markets. This approach is not limited to meeting minimum quality standards, but drives an organizational transformation based on continuous improvement, innovation and strategic learning.

By applying the principles of Total Quality, companies can not only meet the needs of their customers, but also create value for all stakeholders, optimizing their operations and fostering a resilient and proactive organizational culture. In this regard, international standards such as ISO 9004:2018 provide a valuable framework to guide efforts towards sustainable and balanced development.

On the other hand, the pillars of improvement, learning and innovation stand out as essential drivers within Total Quality, ensuring the ability of organizations to adapt to changes in the environment and anticipate new opportunities. The integration of these elements strengthens both operational effectiveness and strategic capability, ensuring long-term results. By empowering people, efficiently managing resources and promoting innovative practices, companies not only optimize their current performance, but also ensure a sustainable competitive advantage based on operational and strategic excellence.

References

1. International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 9000:2015: Sistemas de gestión de la calidad-Fundamentos y vocabulario. ISO.
2. International Organization for Standardization. (2018). ISO 9004:2018: Gestión de la calidad: Calidad de una organización: Directrices para lograr un éxito sostenido. ISO.
3. Evans, J. R., & Lindsay, W. M. (2017). Managing for quality and performance excellence (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.
4. Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2020). Quality management for organizational excellence: Introduction to total quality (9th ed.). Pearson.
5. Oakland, J. S. (2014). Total Quality Management and Operational Excellence: Text with Cases (4th ed.). Routledge.
6. Saylor, J. H. (1996). TQM Field Manual. McGraw-Hill.