Quality and quick: Brilliant!

Russell Bell PHOTO/FILE

The intangible value captured in quality and speed is immense. It is here you separate outstanding businesses from mere participants in the market.

When these qualities are mastered, value at the highest level can be delivered with speed and it is not long before your business is a market leader and commands a level of customer loyalty which is the envy of your competition.

Quality, without speed, is less desirable but is sustainable because many clients will take comfort in the fact that quality is delivered no matter how long it takes. This is especially true if it concerns a major investment or something that has to be right or "correct".

Where things come unstuck is where speed exists but there is no quality or where neither exists.

Sometimes businesses deliver sub-par performance because their systems and processes are such that low-quality deliverables are a fait accompli. It is here where the mantra "we have always done it this way" results in service or products which don't cut the mustard.

In today's market, whether you are a producer, a support business or a retailer, the accessibility of other providers locally and via the web means that those who dwell in the low quality, low-speed sector won't last long.

I caught up this week with a client who is rectifying this type of performance. We have set in place solutions to problems which are years in the making but readily corrected.

A lot of what was required was resetting the strategic direction of the business and communicating that to the team (the way the direction was communicated was also important). And because strategy drives all other aspects of business, we then addressed secondary concerns like culture, which was easily improved after communication became more effective.

I have to close this week with a "hat tip" to an undisputed champion of quality and speed delivery - Jolt coffee house in Victoria Avenue.

Being a "coffee-holic", I have high expectations for quality and speed because coffee is the acknowledged fuel of consultants. Mark and the team have quality and speed sorted - in fact when the speed increases, the quality actually moves upwards with it.

Russell Bell's Zenith Strategic Solutions is a specialist Wanganui business advice and consultancy practice - 021 2442421.