Easy to get – feedback

We know we have a good product/service.  We know that we’re the best.  We know that we offer the best value for money. Do we know that our clients know this?

Gaining client feedback can be quite daunting – we don’t like to ask for praise do we? We also fear what the answer might be!

Firstly try not to be afraid, whatever the answer is, approach the process of gaining client feedback as an opportunity to improve.  If you’re following your systems and the management of them has been carried out properly (ie, planned, drafted, reviewed and checked), your clients’ requirements will have been met. 

So how do you get the feedback?  Ask for it!

Communicate with your clients throughout your relationship with them.  From their initial enquiry, confirming an order, receiving your product/service, invoicing, after sales care and on to close out.

How do you ask?  This can be simply through natural conversation, meetings, telephone, email and even now social media sites.

Ask the questions you want the answers to.  You can issue a feedback form ‘for quality assurance’ purposes, but how often do these get returned to you … be honest! If you do ask your clients to return feedback forms only ask a maximum of three questions at any one time.  You will be more likely to get quick replies. Especially if you continue to communicate in the same manner you did during the job; so if you communicated always by phone – call your client; if by email – email for a quick reply; twitter – tweet your client, etc.

If you ask only three questions you can then ask ‘open’ questions and steer clear of the 1-5 scoring check boxes, which, let’s face it, is just you carrying out your own box ticking exercise!

If you have built a relationship with your client and communicated well throughout you should be able to simply pick up the phone and actually ask your questions and write down the answers.  Then if your client says great things about you in a quotable fashion, you can ask permission to quote the feedback in some of your media.

So success all round = you gained valuable information, what’s working well and what needs improvement and confirmation that you have happy customers.

Remember:  the best feedback is repeat business.

A Quick Tour – ISO 9001:2008

A Quick Tour – ISO 9001:2008

Being accredited with the international quality management systems standard ISO BS EN 9001:2008 shows the outside world that you are in control of your business

You are able to demonstrate that the level of quality of your service/product will at the very least be sustained, and more importantly will continually improve.

Essentially:      Say What You Do

                        Do What You Say

                        Prove It

                        Improve It

The aim of the Quality Management System (QMS) in its entirety is about your clients’ requirements being met and ideally your clients being fully satisfied with all they receive from you.

The ISO 9001:208 standard can be (and should be) applicable to all areas of your business and encapsulates this in 5 sections.

1. General Requirements of the QMS
2. Management Responsibility
3. Resource Management
4. Product Realisation / Service Provision
5. Measurement, Analysis and Improvement

General Requirements

Firstly the standard sets the requirements of controlling and managing the management systems itself during the implementation stage and onwards.  Being able to evidence your activities is critical and a requirement is traceability and clarity.

Management Responsibility

Clearly this is straightforward.  Who does what? Who is responsible for the quality management system? Is the QMS rolled out across the business from the top?

This section covers such matters as describing core business activities.  These are presented by organisation charts, flow charts of the interaction of your different business activities, policies stating commitment to the QMS, visions and aims of the business formally documented, etc.

Resource Management

It is important to demonstrate that you provide the essential tools/means to be able to meet your clients’ requirements. For example:

a)    Competent and capable staff

b)    Reliable, safe vehicles

c)    Accurate, safe machinery

d)    Appropriate working environment

e)    Properly sourced, effective materials

f)     Appropriately selected subcontractors/subconsultants

g)    Company guidelines/ethics/rules

If resources are not effectively sources and managed, service provision may be effected and your levels of quality could take a dip.

Product Realisation / Service Provision

It almost goes without saying that if nothing else gets documents, the procedures for getting the job done are the most critical.

You need to have in place written systems to which your teams can refer so that your clients’ requirements can be met, at all times.  Procedures such as; Order Confirmation, Carry Out Job, Project Management, Client Communication, Supporting Administration, etc.

Depending on how complex the ‘job’ is of course will result in the number of systems you’ll have to write and the complexity of those procedures.  However – you don’t have to get embroiled in the nitty gritty.  Detailed work instructions shouldn’t really be necessary.  If your Resource Management is working well, you’ve employed qualified/competent teams who know how to carry out the work (your book keeper knows how to work Sage), the Company Manual just tells them how to manage the job, ie, what has to be done, by when, using which supporting documentation.

Measurement, Analysis and Improvement

This is the fun part – well I think so!

It’s the ‘Prove It’ part of ISO 9001:2008.

You must check that you are doing what you say you do.  There are lots of ways of doing this.  The standard requires that you carry out internal checks of your activities.  Ideally use competent staff (or outsource to consultants) who can carry out process auditing.  You need to review the activity – the holistic process – not individual persons carrying out the role, and not just individual stages of the activity.

Your teams won’t thank you if they personally feel you are checking up on them.  Therefore it is important that your auditors are sensitive, diplomatic, calm and patient.  Never allow auditors to check their own work and beware, if you’re using your own teams, of office politics, personality clashes, etc.  Yes I know – we’re all supposed to be able to rise above such ‘nonsense’, but we all know it can happen.

You can also measure effectiveness of  your activities by traditional KPI (key performance indicators) setting, specific monitoring activities and quick one off inspections.  Whatever methods you use, ensure they’re fit for purpose, help business activities not hinder them and are reviewed frequently for continued relevance.

So there you are and whistle stop guide to the international quality management systems standard ISO 9001:2008.

            Say What You Do

            Do What You Say

            Prove It

            Improve It

Ensuring that the level of the quality of your work is what you want it to be.

Benefits of documented systems

Document management systems are pretty essential any business owner who would like the comfort and security of knowing the business can run efficiently.

Your Action Coach will tell you – write down systems for everything you do – that way your business at some point will achieve your target of ‘running without you’.  Documented systems equals:

• Time away without worrying
• Stress free time for working ‘on’ your business
• Security in the knowledge that your teams know what they’re to do
• Quick and easy reference when the need arises

Having a Company Manual of all you do – or, at least, instructions/procedures written down of your critical activities – is like having a ‘safety net’ for your teams.

In times of change, whether business growth or downsizing, reference to how things should be carried out can be a real benefit to all concerned.  The Manual will remind you and your teams of your ethics, your objectives, your aspirations and vision.

Your procedures covering activities such as:

• Enquiry development;
• Selection/recruitment;
• Invoicing;
• Purchasing;
• Etc, etc, etc;

will help your teams to carry out their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.

Your Company Manual is also the place where current templates, forms, policies can be found.  This ensures that your teams are always using the latest versions of your company documents.  Again this provides security in the knowledge that the correct information is being gathered and issued to your clients.

In summary:  writing down your systems ensures:  Peace of Mind; Security, Assurance to both your teams and your clients.  No matter what is happening to your or your clients, the level of quality of your service or product will be sustained:  ie, as high as possible

            =  happy satisfied clients, that go back to you again and again.

5 Steps to Writing a Procedure

So you realise that you need to write it down.  No longer can you and/or your staff cope with relying on someone being around to let everyone know what’s in their head.

But how much do you write down?  Too detailed and no-one can actually get on with the flow of the work, not detailed enough and ‘I didn’t know that!’ can be heard reverberating around the office – in any event it usually means disgruntled staff and unsatisfied customers.

1.  A system/procedure/check list – call the document whatever you like – must include:

• who is responsible for the action;
• what has to be carried out;
• the timescale for when the action has to be carried out;
• which, if any, templates/forms/policies have to be used/referred to.

2.  The presentation of the document can be important too – consider:

• brand image;
• the reader(s);
• method of issue/communication to wider world;
• how it will fit into your overall company manual.

3.  The format of the document is up to you and can be in a simple tabular format, a flow chart, a mix of the two or indeed a descriptive piece of prose.

4.  Flowcharts graphically show the process, use shapes and be consistent. For example, an oval shape is used for the start/end of the process, an oblong is used for an instruction, a diamond shows that a decision needs to be made, etc.  Bold borders shows that a template needs to be used at this stage of the procedure.

5.  These documented procedures are critical to your business and so need to be considered as control documents.  This means that they can’t be changed without due process. It must be shown that the reason for change is justified, the responsible person has approved the changes and that the amended document has been issued appropriately and if necessary training given to explain the changes.

Easy access to all company procedures, templates, policies, etc, is essential and be sure that only the current versions are accessible – don’t leave out-of-date documents lying around, beware of shortcuts placed on desktops!

Good luck and get your systems written down – it’ll mean you can relax more happily on your sun bed knowing back at the business everyone knows what has to be done.

Styles of written procedures

tabular format

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flowchart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flowchart/Description mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Descriptive Style

Nitty Gritty? No need!

A quality management system is exactly that – a system for managing levels of quality.  It is a formal broad scoping system that describes what you do to make sure the levels of quality of your work (product or service) is maintained, sustained and of course improved.

Don’t get bogged down in the nitty gritty – these are ‘work instructions’ that are used for the individuals who have to carry it out.  Of course they can be very necessary, but not necessarily part of the overarching company manual/handbook/business bible – whatever you want to call it.

The management system is of course documented – how else can you consistently carry out the same systems? The manual (for arguments sake) lists core activities that must take place for the smooth, efficient and effective running of the business. Continuity – sustained levels of high quality – is your brand image and your brand image is important.

Of course, you choose what the level of quality of your product or service is – high, reasonable, poor!

Who you choose to design and manage your quality management system, is also important.  Do you choose someone who is a technical expert of your product/service?  S/he might just be too ‘fussy’ with the ‘nitty gritty’ and lose sight of the wider overview needed of your business.  Do you choose someone who’s an administration fanatic – everything done by the book and everything in its place?  Both these types have their strengths - add to that the manager whose ‘been there, done it and is now calm’ attitude to the mix and the quality management team will perform well for your business.

Tip:  say what you do, do what you say, prove it, improve it.

Quotes – to inspire

“Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves” Abraham Lincoln

 “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” Henry Ford

 ”If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision and courage.” Arthur M Schlesinger

 “Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit.” Aristotle

 “Good luck is another name for tenacity of purpose.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “Motivation comes from showing people you believe in them.” Colleen Barrett

 “We cannot change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” Niraj Shah

 “The greatest limitations in life are all the ones we place on ourselves.” Jean Driscoll

 Serenity –“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference” Reinhold Niebuhr

 “Your success will ultimately depend on the relationships you build with people.” Dave Longaberger

 ”A woman is like a tea bag- u never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“People do not lack strength; they lack will.” Victor Hugo

Forms, Templates, Standard Documents

How infuriating is it when you have created a form/template no-one either uses it properly or uses out-of-date versions?

Take the Enquiry Form. We all have one, so that we get all the information we need when a new customer calls. It has been created with passion, using all our experience and knowledge of years and years of information gathering calls – we know what we need to know to be able give our new customers what they need. Then you pick up the Enquiry Form and your telesales person didn’t get the telephone number and the email address keeps bouncing back – something’s wrong!

Then there’s the purchase order form, that if you don’t fill it in properly the Office Manager gives it back and you can’t buy what you want until you do.

Worse still, the job sheet that isn’t detailed enough means your operatives can’t do their job properly.

What do the above form filling (or lack of) scenarios add up to? … unsatisfied customers.

Unsatisfied customers means lower repeat business, weakened brand image and reputation, poor potential for new customers.

So often forms, and filling them in, are not taken seriously. Users need to know that it is critical to the efficiency of your business that these forms are completed correctly and in full. In full means that if a particular field is not applicable, for example, a new customer does not have a mobile telephone, then ‘n/a’ is entered into that field. So much time is wasted by the next user searching for the ‘missing’ information only to discover there is no information to find!

It might be that monitoring form filling closely has to be done, but short term pain does mean long term gain. Insisting on the correct form being used at all times may seem ‘silly’ to your staff, but the benefits of efficiency for them and you is evidence itself for simply doing it.

After all, if you don’t fill in your expenses claim form correctly, you don’t get your expenses, right? Same goes for every other form.

Control your forms, give specific training if required and check they’re being used properly by everyone.

Start-Ups

My advice to any new starter would be to make sure you have your systems in place. That is to say, write down key procedures that have to be adhered to for your business. No matter how simple or complicated, it is critical to your business that you and your staff can refer to a company ‘handbook’ – so that everyone knows what has to be done.

Procedures need to be written with four key elements: 1) who does it? 2) what has to be done? 3) when does it have to be done by? and 4) what templated documents have to be used?

Ideally use a system such as the quality management standard ISO 9001. Here in the UK I work with small to medium companies that are finding this framework invaluable in making sure that they ‘do what they say they do’. Operating a quality management systems covers every aspect of your business too. So when you’re going through changes such as fast growth, the quality management system makes sure that you don’t forget key activities. Such as: maintaining the quality of your product/service, ensuring your staff understand and are happy with the changes, making sure your clients continue to be satisfied with your services.

Once you have written down your key procedures, provided training for all users and given time to embed the systems and handled any anomalies, it will be essiential to monitor that the systems are working for your business. In the ISO 9001 world, this is called auditing and it is critical because it will make sure that you take every opportunity to improve.

Quality Assurance Matters

1.  Quality assurance matters.

How can you assure your clients that you can maintain, sustain and improve the quality of your product or service?

If you’d like to give a customer guarantee, assure your product or service. 

A quality management system  designed in accordance with the internationally recognised quality standard ISO 9001:2008 provides a mechanism for ensuring good business management.

Deterermine your core business processes (activities), what are they, how are they interrelated? EG: business development, enquiry/order development, make the product, providing the service, after sales service, follow up, invoicing, close out.

Write these down and show how they connect to each other.

2. Procedures.

What systems do you have to have in place to make sure the core business processes are achieved. Write these down as a procedure, ie, a step by step guide to the activity, who is resonsible, when it has to be done and what templated documents have to be used?

3. Monitor/Measure

Don’t forget these systems then have to be audited for suitability, ie, are they working? Do you do what you say you do? Audit the systems/processes is your aim achieved – is the client fully satisfied with your work?

4. Corrective/preventive actions

Evaluate the findings of your process audits, are there any trends which will result in non-conformances? Put in place plans to prevent non-conformances and of course carry out all corrective actions – ‘put things right’.

Implementing a quality management system (a QMS) will help you to continually improve and your clients will be assured of the high level of quality of your product or service.