Cost of Quality Failure
The term ‘quality’
is an enigma having
multiple meanings under
varying contexts and it’s
understood only in a very
limited sense. In printing,
it is generally signified
as errorless production.
This perception limits our
focus because all resources
and efforts are often
expended to locate errors
in production.
K Nandakumar,
founder president,
Vibes Academy,
writes about dynamic
characteristics of ‘quality’
with changing parameters
and new possibilities for
improvements.
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Now is the time for everyone in the
industry to have a paradigm shift
in understanding ‘quality’. For the
sake of simplification, one can look at it
from two perspectives. One being ‘external’
that is associated with the market and the
other being ‘internal’ that is the sum of all
in-house systems and operations. Further,
external quality may be defined as the
features and specifications of the product
and services that fulfill the requirements
of readers and advertisers. And internal
quality, on other side, may be defined as
‘the appropriate systems and operations
within organisation that ensure maximum
gain while ensuring external quality.
External quality
K Nandakumar
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Very few readers use their time to express
their dissatisfaction on issues related to
quality. Even a minuscule of such negative
feedbacks reflects the feel of substantial
number of silent readers. Additionally,
when the product is already selling, the
quality of the product and tends to pay the
less attention towards quality improvement
programmes. This leads to complacency, till
the complaints become serious and publisher
notes a steep fall in their circulation, whether
of a newspaper or a magazine. In the long
run, especially as new competitions grow,
this attitude will lead to failure. Quality
is all about seeking to be better, not just
eliminating errors.
More than the reproduction quality,
particularly with respect to newspapers
and periodicals, the editorial contents play
a vital role in deciding the marketability.
The content is to satisfy the intellectual
and entertainment needs of the readers.
However, features of a good page with the
right mix of pictures and text, combining
with easily navigable layout, is important
for the overall satisfaction of the readers.
Advertisements are more than just a revenue
generator. Of late, the readers value quality
advertisements as much they value as the
hardcore news. Above all, the contents that
reflect the publisher’s social responsibility
inspires the readers and leads to a personal
rapport between reader and article. Not the
least the attractive by any means, cover
price of a newspaper is also considered
as an important quality service.
Internal quality
The first thing to understand when we
observe ‘internal quality’ is that ‘quality’
is an ‘attitude’. It would be like chasing
a mirage if we expect quality in the end
product without impregnating quality into
the attitude of the organisation. Quality is
a design and not inspection or correction.
Correcting errors is important but has very
limited scope in a competitive environment.
Many printing houses pay lip service to
quality. They shy away in implementing
any constructive quality improvement
programmes as it is generally believed that
quality costs money. They fail to understand
that quality failure causes more damage
to the product and the organisation in the
long run.
Quality failure cost is always more than
the cost of quality assurance schemes. Not
implementing the total quality programme
may temporarily show higher profits. But at
the end it kills the business. It is a choice
between ephemeral profits against growth.
The goal of internal quality is avoidance of
all non-value adding actions and eliminating
the ’repeats’. Every such action and ‘repeat’
causes money and affects the profitability. If
closely observed, every department indulges
in such wastes out of sheer oversight.
While the production is keenly monitored
and always reminded everyone of contained
wastes, such exercises are not directed at
editorial and advertisement segments.
Wastes alert!
Here listed some wastes which need attention
in every printing house. Wrong choice of
font in terms of size and style, especially
if used either to fill-in pages when there is
a dearth of news or to accommodate more
news within the limited page availability, is a
serious quality issue. If subbing is effective,
this shortcut can be avoided. Interest of
the readers wears out when page layout is
retained for a quite a long time. On the other
hand, frequent changes in the page pattern
and layout to suit the fancies of the editorial
confuse the reader. It also demands change
in the press settings which generates large
waste. It is important to figure out a ‘sweet
spot’ time period for page layout changes.
Editorial content is tempted to make
cosmetic change in the page layout just
to differentiate between editions. Though
factual and editorial errors may severely
damage the reputation of the publication,
editorial contents may resort to superficial
corrections during a production run, resulting
in quality failures. These end up being
additional costs towards printing plate, news
print waste and delays. But the editorial
delays are not considered seriously by the
management. In this, one needs to distinguish
between the delays that add value or avoid
damage and frivolous ones. Delays often lead
to the newspaper not reaching the market
in time and not being distributed on time.
An established thumb rule states that quality
assurance cost is just 30 percent of the
cost of quality failure. Let us be very clear
that the cost of quality is not the price
of creating a quality product or rendering
quality service, but it is the ‘cost of not
delivering the quality product and service’.
The strength of a chain is the strength of
its weakest link. So the bottom-line is that
‘quality’ is the responsibility of all.
(K Nandakumar earlier worked as regional
manager-after sales support at TPH and
VP-technical at The New Indian Express).
Polaris Trykk extends association with Q.I.
Erwin van Rossem, head of sales, QIPC; Asmund
Kildal, plant manager, Polaris Trykk; Kjeld Haugesten,
Grafi-TEC, agent, QIPC/EAE; Steinar Bakken, CEO,
Polaris Trykk; and Erik van Holten, chairman, QIPC
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Press Controls and EAE Norwegian printing group Polaris Trykk
is set to intensify its collaboration with
Engineering Automation Electronics
(EAE) and Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC). The
concern will not only be the installation of
mRC-3D from QIPC and several system updates
from EAE in its plant located in Harstad, the
group’s existing system architecture is also
being upgraded so that a new folder can be
added to the current configuration. In addition,
Polaris Trykk has also signed a five-year service
contract with EAE.
This convenience was a major factor in Polaris
Trykk’s thinking. QIPC’s mRC-3D is likewise
part of this performance. The mRC-3D will
enable full automation of the cut-off register.
The five-year service contract with EAE means
that Polaris Trykk can fall back on round-theclock
support from EAE for the electronics
on the printing press. As it happens now, the
partnership between Polaris Trykk and QIPC/
EAE will go a long way. In addition to its
printing plant in Harstad, Porlaris Trykk has
also been using several QIPC systems in its
plants in Alesund and Trondheim too.
Harper’s Bazaar India appoints new editor
India Today Group, the publishers of
Harper’s Bazaar India magazine, has
recently appointed Nonita Kalra as the
editor of the Indian
edition of the globally
read monthly fashion
magazine. India Today
magazine was the
launch pad for Nonita
where she kic k -
started her journalism
career as a trainee
journalist. Since
then she sustained
her voyage into the
news media world
as she eventually
became editor-in-chief
of ELLE India where
she worked for about 13 years. It was at ELLE
India where Nonita was influenced writing
about fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Over the
last two decades of her experience in both print
and electronic media, Nonita had worked with
Business World, UTV, BiTV and Man’s World.
And today she is at Harper’s Bazaar India.
