The quality profession – beyond the audit

One of the first things I hear when I introduce myself as a quality manager is, “What does that mean?” – or the classic “Oh, so you’re an auditor?”

Almost every time, I find myself battling the same misconceptions. After years of working in quality roles across various industries, I’ve seen first-hand how quality takes on different forms depending on the sector. Yet time and again, it seems our profession only gets recognised when things go wrong, or when we’re seen as the dreaded ‘police’ of a project, dedicated only to pointing out mistakes.

This narrow view of quality management is frustrating, to say the least. Of course, auditing is an essential part of what we do – it helps identify risks, highlights areas of excellence and ensures standards are met. But if we reduce quality to just auditing, we’re missing a much bigger picture.

Sustainable quality management isn’t just about finding faults, it’s about preventing them in the first place. It’s about embedding quality into the very fabric of an organisation so that it becomes second nature, not just a compliance tickbox.

"Quality is evolving, and it’s up to us to shape its future."

Aisha Sallahdeen, Associate Quality Manager and Quality Excellence Lead at Mott MacDonald, UK

Within a project, for example, moving beyond traditional audits by introducing daily and/or weekly quality ‘huddles’ and staff-led improvement projects not only reduces the number of incidents reported, but also significantly improves staff engagement and satisfaction. This is a testament to what happens when quality is truly owned across a project or an organisation.

From audit-driven to innovation-driven quality

As quality professionals, we need to change the narrative. Our work isn’t just about enforcement, it’s about enhancement. True quality management takes a holistic approach, integrating:

• employee engagement: a culture of quality starts with people. If senior leaders and employees don’t buy into the process, no amount of auditing will make a difference.
• process optimisation: streamlining workflows, reducing inefficiencies and ensuring consistency across projects.
• risk mitigation: proactively preventing issues before they arise, rather than reacting after the fact.
• financial impact: reducing the need for rework and its cost implications.
• customer satisfaction: quality isn’t just internal; it directly impacts the end-user experience.

When we shift mindsets from an audit-driven approach to an innovation-driven one, we stop being seen as roadblocks and start being recognised as enablers of excellence. But this shift doesn’t happen overnight. It requires years of intentional effort by working alongside colleagues and embedding quality in the culture of the organisation, engaging with leadership and influencing industry-wide perspectives on what quality really means.

Quality isn’t just a department, team or a checklist, but a guiding principle that keeps businesses thriving.

Changing the perception of quality

The CQI and others have made significant strides in pushing the conversation forward and helping people better understand what our profession is really all about. The groundwork is there, no doubt – but, let’s be honest, we’ve still got a way to go.

For those of us working in this space, shifting perceptions of quality management isn’t just about educating others, it is also about how we show up, every single day. One of my favourite ways to respond to questions about what I do in my role as a quality manager is to say this: “Quality is the conscience of every project or organisation. It should guide every decision taken and action made to ensure we stay aligned with standards and goals while preventing shortcuts that could lead to future problems. When quality is right, everything else falls into place.”

A call to action

So, here’s my challenge to you: how do you represent this profession and what steps can you take to drive innovation and change the perception of quality in your workplace?

This isn’t just a rhetorical question; it’s an invitation to be part of the movement. Quality is evolving, and it’s up to us to shape its future.