Last updated on Sep 15, 2024

What are the most sought-after skills for quality management professionals?

Quality management is a vital function in any organization that aims to deliver products or services that meet customer expectations and comply with standards and regulations. Quality management professionals are responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring, and improving quality processes and systems across various functions and departments. If you are interested in pursuing a career in quality management, or want to enhance your existing skills, here are some of the most sought-after skills for quality management professionals.

1 Analytical and problem-solving skills

Quality management professionals need to have strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify, measure, and resolve quality issues and risks. They need to be able to collect, analyze, and interpret data from various sources, such as customer feedback, audits, inspections, tests, and reports. They also need to be able to use various tools and techniques, such as root cause analysis, fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts, and statistical process control, to find the root causes of quality problems and implement corrective and preventive actions.

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2 Communication and collaboration skills

Quality management professionals need to have excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with different stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, managers, and employees. They need to be able to communicate clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, the quality objectives, standards, policies, procedures, and results. They also need to be able to collaborate with others, such as cross-functional teams, quality assurance teams, and external auditors, to ensure alignment and consistency of quality practices and outcomes.

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3 Customer focus and orientation

Quality management professionals need to have a strong customer focus and orientation to understand and meet customer needs and expectations. They need to be able to listen to customer feedback, complaints, and suggestions, and use them to improve quality performance and satisfaction. They also need to be able to anticipate customer requirements and preferences, and deliver products or services that exceed customer expectations and add value.

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Mohammed Diab

Quality Manager @ Tecnimont | Talks about Quality Management | Aramco Approved QA Manager | LinkedIn Quality Management Top Voice | CMQ/OE, PMP, IRCA Principal Auditor QMS, NDT Level III | Author | Co-founder
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I wouldn't call this a skill. It is rather a set of predefined recurring actions to systematically seek customer feedback and address there concerns in a timely manner, and follow it up. Communication skills are important, but customers need to see actions and results.

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4 Leadership and management skills

Quality management professionals need to have leadership and management skills to lead and manage quality initiatives and projects. They need to be able to set and communicate quality goals and strategies, allocate and manage resources, monitor and evaluate progress and results, and provide feedback and recognition. They also need to be able to motivate and inspire others, such as employees, suppliers, and partners, to follow quality standards and principles, and foster a culture of quality and continuous improvement.

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Dominic Mwata

Quality and Improvement Management Expert
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In order for Quality management professionals to continually be valuable members of their organizations, they must possess a combination of hard (technical) and soft (transferrable) skills. Hard skills include but are not limited to basic and advanced quality tools, quality principles, quality management systems, standards and regulatory requirements for products and services. On the other hand, soft skills would include among many others, leadership capabilities, a problem solving mindset, understanding of basics of business practices, and a critical thinking. These are foundational tools for any quality management professional to be impactful, hence many organizations will certainly consider them when seeking exceptional experts.

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5 Technical and professional skills

Quality management professionals need to have technical and professional skills to perform their tasks and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. They need to have knowledge and expertise in quality management concepts, methodologies, standards, and frameworks, such as ISO 9001, Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, and Total Quality Management. They also need to have skills and experience in using quality management software, tools, and systems, such as quality management systems (QMS), quality control tools, quality audit tools, and quality improvement tools.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Guilherme Augusto

Gerente de Qualidade e Treinamento na Concentrix e Psicólogo | Green Belt
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Atuação voltada para a experiência do cliente e melhoria contínua. Profissionais de qualidade possuem nas mãos, os mais relevantes insights de negócio, que devem ser o insumo necessário para ações contínuas de desenvolvimento e melhoria do time, da marca e dos resultados.

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Andre Dytz

Executive C-Level / Board Member / Advisor / Management Thinker
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Conhecimento sistêmico de como o NEGÓCIO é formado, sustentado e alavancado, e tudo aquilo que pode comprometer sua subsistência a longo prazo.

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Lucas Prado

Analista de Controle da Qualidade | Analista de Laboratório | Compliance | Data Integry | Risk Management | Controle de Qualidade | Boas Práticas de Fabricação
(edited)
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Conhecimento em métodos de análise e solução de problemas, capacidade analítica, identificação de riscos e oportunidades, conhecimento nas principais normas, mapeamento de processos, olhar crítico, automotivacão, lidar com conflitos, comunicação clara e objetiva, colaboração, organização, proatividade, mentalidade de melhoria contínua.

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What are the most sought-after skills for quality management professionals?

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2

3

4

5

6

1 Analytical and problem-solving skills

2 Communication and collaboration skills

3 Customer focus and orientation

4 Leadership and management skills

5 Technical and professional skills

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Management

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What are the most sought-after skills for quality management professionals?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Analytical and problem-solving skills

2 Communication and collaboration skills

3 Customer focus and orientation

4 Leadership and management skills

5 Technical and professional skills

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Management

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