On World Quality Day, some leaders share their thoughts on the practices they adopt and how they positively impact production.
Since 1989, World Quality Day has been celebrated to raise awareness among businesses, public organizations, and the academic sector about a strategic approach to Quality management. This helps achieve an impact on the culture of continuous improvement in organizations and increases confidence in the quality of products and services, a hallmark of excellence in management. The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) has led this celebration in partnership with global organizations such as the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).
For Carlos Polidori, Chief Quality Officer, one of the main challenges of the Quality and R&D Directorate is qualitative performance. “By this, I mean failures, rework, complaints, and overrolling. We face the challenge of moving towards operational quality with an increasing preventive focus while incorporating technological tools,” he said.
Regarding R&D and Product Development, Polidori explained that his focus is on products demanded by the market to maintain and grow market share, optimizing costs. “In the medium and long term, the vision is to develop new products and technologies that will allow us to meet the challenges of our future market, as well as the decarbonization of our processes,” he noted. “We must work closely with other areas in reviewing our cross-functional processes, with the aim of identifying and adopting best practices in critical manufacturing and product control processes,” he concluded.
Why is Quality Important? Leaders Weigh In
Pablo García, Global Quality Assurance Director in Mexico, recalls Roberto Rocca, one of the greatest industrial leaders, through his phrase: "Quality: Passion for doing things right."
"[This phrase] inspires us to keep the spirit of TX's Quality culture alive by guiding our actions at all organizational levels towards the continuous improvement of the Quality Management System processes. This ensures the manufacturing and delivery of products and services of excellence that meet the needs and expectations of our stakeholders, consolidating the integrity of our people, protecting the environment, pursuing sustainability, and complying with regulations in the regions and communities where we operate," he added.
From Central America, Ribelino Santos, Environment and Quality Manager, shares: “We have increasingly seen the ease of importing and marketing products and services from anywhere in the world. Today, Quality is an element that must be intrinsic to the products and services we offer. This will allow us to develop a positive purchasing experience for our customers, positioning us and keeping us as their preferred option, which will ultimately contribute to the sustainability of our company.”
He added: “We must keep in mind that Quality is ultimately a way of life, reflected in our daily actions, and the results will speak to that commitment. Today, we take the opportunity to reinforce the invitation to make and be Quality.”
Ricardo Michelini, Senior Quality Director in Argentina, commented: “We are committed to continuous improvement as a philosophy: not only doing things well but motivating ourselves to do them better every time. We are enhancing our analytical capabilities and understanding of our lines through new technological tools, some in operation and others still under development, taking advantage of the vast availability of data that has emerged in recent years.”
At TX Colombia, Anamaría Díaz, Supply Chain and Quality Director, explains: “We reaffirm our commitment to the values that guide us: transparency, trust, impartiality, and empathy. We strive to maintain open and honest communication in all our operations; we work daily to build and maintain the trust of our employees, customers, and partners; we ensure that we act fairly and equitably, without favoritism or prejudice; and we understand and respect the needs and perspectives of other areas.”
Francisco Islas, Senior Quality Manager in Shreveport, shares that "Quality is the foundation of excellence, driving growth, innovation, and sustainability. It’s about delivering exceptional experiences to customers, ensuring reliability and safety. I invite you to adopt quality as a mindset, fostering continuous improvement and collaboration. Together, we can improve customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, build trust, and drive innovation.”
Jean Carlo Detimermani, Quality Director in Brazil, believes that “Quality is not just a goal, but a continuous commitment to improvement and operational excellence. In this context, we must reflect on how to implement efficient processes, guarantee customer satisfaction, and constantly seek innovations that add value to the business. When we choose to prioritize quality in our daily work, we can achieve our qualitative indicators, such as: Failures, Rework, Overcasting, Blast Furnace Quality, and so on.”
“We invite you to commit to raising our standards of quality and excellence, not only to meet the requirements and expectations of customers but to exceed them. After all, the pursuit of excellence is a never-ending journey, and every step toward quality is a step toward success,” he concluded.