“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.” — John Ruskin
My recent road trip was a great reminder how quality is durable.
As I passed through familiar territory, it was interesting to see how many building and places stood the test of time.
Whether it was a business or a building, it was quality that survived in the long run.
Some of the restaurants I remembered were gone.
Every restaurant I remembered that was high quality, was still around.
Competing on Price Fails in the Long Run
Competing on price failed, time and again. There was no customer loyalty when it was the price play.
There was no compelling distinction beyond price.
Chasing the price play, meant getting priced out of market by somebody better or cheaper or you name it.
There are only so many corners you can cut before your value is insignificant. On the other hand, the quality play is focused on differentiation and distinction in terms of value.
In a global market, where cycles of change are faster, competing on price is a game I just don’t want to play in.
Do You Stand Behind Your Work?
One of my most important tests, and it’s a simple gut check, is, do you stand behind your work?
It’s a cutting question.
When your results are something you’re proud of, and quality is your game, and continuous improvement is your way, and excellence is your bar … you set yourself up for success.
When you can put yourself into your work, the journey becomes as enjoyable, if not more so, than the destination.
In times of change and uncertainty, driving from quality is a guiding principle that helps us find our path.
You Might Also Like
Top 20 Best Software Engineering Books of All Time
Customer-Connected Engineering
How To Frame Problems Better
How To Pitch Business Ideas Better
Intro to Lean Software Development
Lean Principles for Software Development
The Enterprise of the Future
Examples of How I Structure Vision / Scope Presentations
I loved this one a lot – written from the heart.
This is what Weinberg would say:
“16. if you find yourself reluctant to sell your product, there’s something wrong with it”
http://secretsofconsulting.blogspot.com/2009/09/50-more-ways-to-improve-your-business.html
Excellent post!
On a longer run, Quality outlasts your pricing advantage. Offering cheaper services is a short term strategy for survival. But long term strategy has to focus on quality, invest in processes, generate better productivity through these processes, value-additions to customers and distinction in marketplace.
People don’t necessarily buy what is cheaper. They look at “value-for-money”. Quality game is based on this all-important concept of “value-for-money”. In knowledge based industries, companies have to first “demonstrate” value-for-money and then “deliver” it.
You might enjoy reading my 12-article series on #QUALITY at activegarage.com. It touches upon some of these important aspects of Quality.
@ Tammay
Well put. I like the precision of “value-for-money.”
You’re right, it’s both a focus on quality as well as investment in processes (otherwise, you end up priced out of market or not keeping up with the quality bar.)
@ Alik
Perfect quote!