Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a coherent theory and strategy for the achievement of quality outcomes that is meaningful and relevant to people at all levels of society. These should help the quality professional engage with people at all levels of society in the development of a culture that appreciates quality, systems and excellence. The research draws on the work of the community quality councils movement in the USA and sought to build on this experience in a village in northwest Ireland. Design/methodology/approach Action research employing an ethnographic type approach to a four year immersion period in a small industrious community. Its inductive nature and naturalist mode of enquiry did not lend itself to either the generation or analysis of quantitative data. Nevertheless it yielded many rich complex pictures or patterns of qualitative information requiring long periods of reflection to decipher the sense and meaning in them. Findings The findings can be encapsulated in one sentence “To achieve quality outcomes we must practise excellence and maintain systems that are fit for purpose”. This requires a radical reworking of Deming’s system of profound knowledge (SoPK) to make it relevant to the human complex adaptive systems that permeate the twenty-first century. These operate as autonomous service providers in a rapidly changing environment. Research limitations/implications The findings of this research have transferability to all sectors in society pursuing purposeful activity. It is relevant at individual, interest-group, industry, institution and community level. It should make the development of a “quality culture” more attainable at all levels. Practical implications Provides quality professionals with new terminology and imagery to engage with, analyse and help autonomous human activity systems in the twenty-first century. It moves Deming’s SoPK to a new level more suited to human systems. Social implications By explaining quality, excellence and systems in easily understood and accepted terms the Grange Excellence Model allows every individual, interest-group, industry and institution share the same language and images as they pursue quality outcomes. This unified approach could transform communities and society in general. Originality/value The research generates a seismic shift in the appreciation of quality, excellence and systems making them relevant and meaningful to people at all levels of society. This provides quality professionals with a methodology, images and vocabulary that will facilitate productive engagement with purposeful systems at all levels of complexity.
Bob, let ' s start off with a little bit of your background and where you are now, with the idea that it will really provide a context for sharing some of your insights about customer experience management (CEM), web marketing and IT trends and some of the related industry consolidations. BK : Thanks Michael! It ' s great to speak with you today. To begin, I ' m presently employed as a regional sales director with Tealeaf Technology. Just briefl y, Tealeaf is the industry leader in CEM software solutions. As well, I ' m presently a member of the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association. In particular, I chair the Web Analytics Special Interest Group. That provides a fantastic opportunity to interact with 70-plus industry leaders and web analytics professionals in the Atlanta marketplace; and, to keep my fi nger on the pulse of trends in web analytics and interactive marketing. Before Tealeaf, I worked with Covario, an industry leader in solutions and services for online marketing analytics. Specifi cally, Covario provides a unique technology for auditing and interacting with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Competitive and Channel ' campaigns ' utilized to drive visitors to a company ' s web sites. MM : Bob, as I recall-one of the larger users of Covario is Intel. They manage an inventory of some 50 000-60 000 keywords across 15 languages. They create more of a dynamic marketplace around those 50 000-60 000 keywords. They use measurable traction behavior in any particular market as a way of subsequently buying into that keyword, and provisioning it in or out. Is that a fair summarization? BK : Like many of enterprise and global companies, Intel does manage thousands of keywords, on multiple search engines, in multiple languages, around the world. As well, this size organization will typically have multiple agencies serving them in various markets geographically and vertically. The challenge for these organizations is large, and includes: accurate reporting of campaign spend and effectiveness; elimination of internal competition; brand consistency; global and local Interview Customer experience management: Industry trends-An interview with Bob Kennedy of Tealeaf Technologies Bob Kennedy with more than 25 years of sales and customer consultation experience in high technology and Internet market segments, Bob Kennedy is currently a regional sales director for Tealeaf Technology and a board of directors member for the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association. For the past 12 years, Bob has held positions with leading enterprise software companies providing solutions for online marketing and customer management, including Covario (formerly SEMDirector), WebTrends, SAS and Art Technology Group. Bob has a broad network of professional associates managing some of the largest online brands in the world and working for many of the leading marketing agencies. He is frequently consulted on trends, emerging technologies and methods to increase customer success and s...
PurposeThis paper aims to explore the quality profession's fascination with various models to depict complex interactive systems. Building on these and the outcome of a four‐year action research programme, it provides a model which has potential for use by other professions. It has been tailored here to suit training and learning systems.Design/methodology/approachThe action research was carried out over a four‐year period. It used ethnographic principles and involved immersion in the community and engagement and participation at various levels and sectors. The objective was to discover the applicability of quality principles at community level.FindingsThe outcomes of the research are twofold. First, the Grange excellence model (GEM) provides a framework for all human activity systems. Second, a definition of excellence provides a generic code of practice for all human engagement. Both are applicable to all human activity in pursuit of any goal or objective.Practical implicationsResearch outcomes are fractal and generic in nature, allowing them to be applied without limitation to all human activity at individual, interest group, industry or institution level. This paper describes how it might be used in training and learning systems.Originality/valueThe introduction of the term “cystem” provides a new unique concept for profiling human activity. The GEM provides a realistic model of real world human engagement not found in either the European Foundation's Quality Management (EFQM) or Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) models.
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