As one of our four foundational values, continuous improvement at Quantum Services means our ears and minds are open each day for progress. We understand that to grow in a meaningful way, we must ensure both employee and customer satisfaction at every turn. This calls for us to be open to change, adjustments, suggestions and calculated refinements to push us forward.
Develop your people, build capability
Our proprietary audit processes and technology are only as good as the people behind them. That’s why we count on our inventory auditors out in the field, across the country, to share input and feedback from their daily work. “Frontline employees are the ones who often best know how to solve a problem because they live and breathe it in their daily work — theirs is a unique perspective on the process,” according to the Harvard University Ash Center for Improvement.
Training our inventory auditors well from day one is one way we live out our value of continuous improvement. As a learning organization, at least 5% of our revenue each year is directed at training. Because our auditors feel confident in their work and the auditing process, they feel more comfortable offering thoughts and concerns in return. And these front-line suggestions are what we need to stay ahead in the industry and make adjustments swiftly.
Our team members know we maintain an open-door policy. This means they always can ask questions and raise new ideas or opinions on how we could do things better. “Hierarchy is not emphasized at Quantum. We want each team member to feel empowered to make their own decisions, with integrity. Or, they can reach out to any manager or company leader to share their perspective,” shared Barrett Crook, who serves as president at Quantum.
Listen, learn and make adjustments
Continuous improvement and innovation at Quantum go hand-in-hand. We realize even the most attentive, conscientious, and well-trained auditors can make mistakes from time to time. We’re all human after all! However, we ensure we train and retain above–average auditors to work as part of an above–average audit process. When they are supported by optimized technology and the constant opportunity to suggest improvements, we can guarantee the most accurate solutions for our clients.
We were the pioneer in developing the most robust data entry analysis software in the industry. When we study the data, it leads to greater innovation and error-proofing. Our auditors enter the data and they share their insight. Then, we all review the numbers, and we look for ways to do things better, together. And we try to keep it simple along the way. Chief Executive Officer magazine puts it this way: “To succeed with continuous improvement, make it a natural part of every employee’s daily work ethic.”
Change as an advantage
Some might view change as messy or even scary. Working in a culture of continuous improvement can feel intimidating. Especially if you don’t have proper support and buy-in from every corner of the organization. At Quantum Services, we give our inventory auditors the autonomy to share their ideas. As a result, this helps us refine our audit process and improve our service in real time. Each employee has the opportunity to make the company better each day, and that’s extremely rewarding.
Are you ready to work for a company that values continuous improvement in the workplace and empowers you to ask questions and offer feedback and suggestions in your daily work? View our open jobs.