Juhani Anttila
Venture Knowledgist Quality Integration
Helsinki, Finland
www.QualityIntegration.biz

"YOU GET WHAT YOU MEASURE." OR NOT? CHALLENGES FOR FACT-BASED QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Competitiveness and success of all organizations are based on right business related information and knowledge on time. Very strong topic today in all management doctrines is measurement. This is also a core emphasis in typical quality management approaches. The old saying “you get what you measure” is used in many contexts all over the world, and it has had influence on reinforcing interests in measurements. Is this saying right? Do you get what you measure? What are the limits and risks of measurements?

This paper will search for a balanced position to statistical quality management and factual business performance based on facts, data, information and knowledge. It also considers the use of measurements, analyses, and knowledge within business management. It is a challenge for a business management as well as for quality management to have a practical consistent approach to strategic and operational business performance measures/indicators and related measurements.

As examples, the paper describes a novel Z-score Electronic Feedback (ZEF) methodology for business performance evaluations and a topical problem to evaluate the quality of networks.

[This text was prepared together with Kari Jussila and presented in Osijek, Croatia in 2011]