M17BuildOperations· Module 6
Quality Control
Errors are found by customers, not by the business. Every complaint is handled as a one-off.
- Stabilise
- Scale
- Fix
- Operations
- Customers
- ~5 min · Checklist
The business problem
Without defined quality standards and checks, quality depends on individual care. Errors reach customers, rework consumes capacity, and complaints are handled one at a time without learning from them.
Why it matters
Poor quality is expensive twice: in rework and in lost customers. Building checks into the process is cheaper than inspecting at the end or apologising afterwards.
What you will learn
- Define measurable quality standards
- Place checks at the points where errors start, not only at the end
- Record errors and complaints to find patterns
- Calculate the cost of poor quality
Core questions
- What does 'right first time' mean for our product or service?
- Where do most errors start?
- How many errors reach the customer?
- What does rework cost us each month?
Work through the module
CaseWhat is happening?
Printing and branding firm, 20 people · Illustrative teaching case
A printing firm reprints about one job in ten because of spelling errors, wrong colours or wrong quantities. Most errors originate in the order brief, not the print room. The firm introduces a signed customer proof before production and a checklist at order intake, and records every reprint with its cause.
DecisionWhat does the leader need to decide?
Add an inspector at the end of production, or build checks into order intake and proofing?
FrameworkHow should they think about the problem?
Right first time and the cost of poor quality
Prevention (clear standards, checks at source) costs less than detection (inspection at the end), which costs less than failure (rework, refunds, lost customers). Track errors by where they start to direct prevention.
ToolWhat can they use?
Error log and checkpoint planChecklist
- Log every error: date, type, where found, where it started, cost
- Group errors by origin
- Place a check at the top two origins
- Report right-first-time rate monthly
ApplicationHow does it apply to their business?
Apply it to your own business:
- Log errors for four weeks
- Identify where most errors start
- Design one check at that point
ImplementationWhat changes?
What should change in the business:
- Build the check into the process and the SOP
- Review the error log in the weekly meeting
- Share the cost of poor quality with the team
ReviewDid it work?
How to tell whether the change worked:
- Has right-first-time rate improved?
- Have customer complaints fallen?
- Has rework time or cost reduced?
After this module you should be able to decide
Add an inspector at the end of production, or build checks into order intake and proofing?
And leave with: Quality checkpoints and an error log for one core process.
Sequence · Operations