The rapidly changing role of the quality professional

During the past ten years quality management has changed radically. What was once a technical activity focused almost solely on quality control and quality assurance has now become a strategic dimension and competitive weapon in many leading companies. The concepts and methods of what is now commonly referred to as total quality management are now integral parts of many companies' strategic planning and business operations. As quality management methodologies have grown to encompass bottom-line results, customer loyalty and human resource management, the role of the quality professional and the quality department have also changed in radical ways. In many leading organizations the chief quality officer is now a key member of the executive management team. The roles of the quality professionals within the organization have expanded to include strategic planning, education and training, customer surveys and customer-loyalty measurements and action plans, developing customer/supplier partnerships and performing annual assessments of business performance. Quality professionals often lead benchmarking activities and competitive analyses, lead business process reengineering efforts, and are key members of teams developing new information technologies and strategies. In this paper we shall explore the impact these changes are having on our profession and discuss some of the exciting new possibilities in the future.