Business Core · Operational Systems · Module
Standards and quality
What good output looks like, defined precisely enough that two people would agree. Without it, quality is a matter of who checked.
The idea
How it works
A standard exists when two people assessing the same output reach the same verdict. Anything less is a preference, and it will be applied inconsistently no matter how sincerely it is held.
The other principle is that quality is cheaper built in than inspected out. A defect caught at its source costs a fraction of one caught downstream, and the ratio grows the further it travels.
Working with it
In practice
- 01
Write standards as observable conditions
Things that can be checked rather than judged. “Loads in under two seconds” rather than “fast”.
- 02
Test the standard on two people
Give the same output to two assessors. Disagreement means the standard is not yet written.
- 03
Catch defects at source
Build the check into the step that produces the work rather than at the end of the line.
- 04
Record defects by origin
Where a defect was created matters more than where it was found. Only the first is actionable.
One level in
The components of standards and quality
A component is something that exists afterwards which did not exist before — a deliverable or a mechanism, not an intention.
Give the same output to two assessors. If they disagree, the standard is a preference that has not been written yet.
The other modules in operational systems
Process design
Mapping how work actually moves through the organisation, as opposed to how it is supposed to. The gap between the two is where most operational problems live.
LearnTooling
The systems and software the work runs on, and whether they fit the process or the process has bent to fit them.
LearnContinuous improvement
A rhythm for changing the process based on what it produces, rather than only when something breaks. The rhythm matters more than the method.
Learn