Qualitydriven

Qualitydriven is an organizational approach that places quality considerations at the center of planning, design, development, and operations. It aims to deliver products and services that meet specified requirements, perform reliably, and satisfy customers with minimal defects and variability.

Core principles include aligning work with customer value, preventing defects rather than inspecting them away, and making quality a measurable, data-driven activity. Teams use quality metrics, standard processes, and feedback loops to guide decisions, often within a quality management system and in line with established standards such as ISO 9001 or Six Sigma.

In practice, qualitydriven methods are applied across software, manufacturing, and service industries. In software, practices such as design for quality, test-driven development, and quality gates aim to reduce risk early. In manufacturing and services, quality dashboards, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement programs are common.

The concept draws on historical quality movements that emphasized process control, defect reduction, and process capability, including the work of pioneers like Deming, Juran, and Ishikawa. Over time, it has become a broader philosophy rather than a single methodology.

Critics warn that an excessive focus on metrics can lead to gaming or misaligned incentives, and that qualitydriven efforts require sustained cultural change, leadership commitment, and appropriate resource allocation to be effective.

See also: quality assurance, quality control, Six Sigma, Lean, ISO 9001, continuous improvement.