How do you influence client quality expectations?

1 Understand your client's context

In order to influence client quality expectations, it is essential to first gain an understanding of the client's context. This includes business goals, challenges, problems, priorities, preferences, industry, market, competitors, regulations and standards. By doing so, you can ensure that your quality objectives are in line with their desired outcomes and value proposition. Additionally, you can identify and address any potential risks or issues that may affect quality. To understand your client's context, you can use various methods such as conducting interviews or surveys with the client and their stakeholders; reviewing their requirements or contracts; researching their industry or market; analyzing their feedback or reviews; and asking open-ended questions while actively listening.

2 Define and agree on quality criteria

The next step to influencing client quality expectations is to define and agree on quality criteria. This involves specifying what quality means for your project or product, how it will be measured, and what the acceptable levels or thresholds are. Additionally, you need to determine the roles and responsibilities of each party in quality assurance, such as who will conduct quality checks, approve results, and handle issues. To define and agree on quality criteria, you can use various tools such as a quality management plan or policy, a quality assurance checklist or template, quality metrics or indicators, quality standards or guidelines, and quality acceptance criteria or test cases.

3 Communicate and demonstrate quality throughout the project

The third step to influencing client quality expectations is to communicate and demonstrate quality throughout the project. This entails keeping your client informed of your quality assurance activities, processes, and results, as well as showing them how you are delivering quality that benefits them and their stakeholders. To do this, you can provide regular quality reports or updates, share quality best practices or lessons learned, invite your client to quality reviews or audits, show them quality samples or prototypes, and solicit their feedback or approval on quality deliverables.

4 Manage and negotiate quality changes

The fourth step to influencing client quality expectations is to manage and negotiate quality changes. This means staying ahead of any changes in client requirements, expectations, or preferences that could affect quality. It also requires balancing your quality standards with the client's needs and constraints, such as time, budget, scope, or resources. To do this, you can utilize various skills such as change management or control, risk management or mitigation, stakeholder management or engagement, conflict resolution or mediation, and negotiation or persuasion.

5 Evaluate and improve quality performance

The final step to influencing client quality expectations is to evaluate and improve quality performance. This involves measuring and analyzing results, outcomes, and impacts, as well as comparing your quality performance with client expectations and satisfaction. To do this, you can use various methods such as quality assurance testing or evaluation, quality control or verification, quality assurance audit or review, quality feedback or survey, and quality improvement plan or action. By taking these steps, you can identify and implement opportunities for improvement.

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?