qualityacross

Qualityacross is a term used to describe a holistic approach to quality management that aims to ensure consistent quality across all domains of an organization, including product design, manufacturing, service delivery, and support functions. It treats quality as a shared responsibility rather than the remit of a single department, seeking to align processes, data, and culture with customer expectations.

Originating in management literature and practice during the 2010s as organizations sought to connect quality with customer experience and operational efficiency, qualityacross is not a formal standard but an umbrella concept. It is compatible with established quality systems such as ISO 9001, Six Sigma, Lean, and agile methodologies, which can be integrated to support cross-functional quality goals.

Principles commonly associated with qualityacross include cross-functional ownership of quality, a focus on prevention over detection, data-driven decision making, end-to-end quality planning, and continuous improvement through feedback loops.

Applications span product development, software engineering, manufacturing, and service delivery. Organizations employing a qualityacross mindset map the entire value stream, define shared quality metrics, and align governance and incentives to support cross-team accountability.

Benefits can include more consistent product and service quality, higher customer satisfaction, reductions in waste and rework, and faster time to market. Challenges include overcoming organizational silos, integrating data from disparate systems, and avoiding excessive standardization that stifles innovation.

Critics argue that without clear ownership the concept risks vague accountability, while proponents say it provides a practical framework for achieving holistic quality.