Quality Control Made Simple
By VICKY BROWN
Today, I’m going to talk about tackling something that makes a lot of entrepreneurs break out in a cold sweat – quality control. Now, the thing that got me thinking about QC is that 4 people on my team just finished scouring old eMails, looking for that one magic message – you know, the one with the info about that report we can’t find. The one that will explain why there isn’t a copy of the report in the folder where it belongs. The one we wouldn’t’ have to look for if there was a note to the file explaining WHY the report wasn’t there…
So, while you may be thinking you don’t even have time the get the work done, let alone check it – well, you can’t fool me. I know you’ve found yourself, wasting hours, looking for that ONE eMail. We all have. And the fact is, we don’t have to, and wouldn’t’ have to if we had a good QC system. And no – quality control doesn’t have to be this big, scary monster eating up all your time.
In fact, here are five simple ways you can nail quality control, even when you’re running a small shop and everyone’s wearing multiple hats.
First up – you’ve got to have clear, actionable Standard Operating Procedures, with built-in checkpoints. Listen, I know from experience that when I say “SOP,” a lot of business owners immediately think “complicated” or “time-consuming.” But in reality, effective SOPs are actually time-savers, not time-wasters.
The key is to make these SOPs work in real life, not just look good on paper. I’m talking about straightforward checklists that break down exactly what needs to happen at each step. For example, if you’re in professional services, your client onboarding SOP might include specific checkpoints like “Welcome email sent,” “Contract signed,” and “Project timeline approved.”
Each checkpoint gives your team a clear moment to pause and verify quality before moving forward. And when you digitize these checklists using tools like Trello or Asana, you’re not just organizing tasks – you’re creating a living, breathing system that helps your team deliver consistent quality every single time.
Think about it like this: have you ever cooked from a recipe that had those little notes saying “mixture should be smooth” or “dough should be springy”? That’s what we’re going for here. Give your team those visual cues and checkpoints so they can catch issues before they become problems.
Now, let’s talk about accountability. Now, before you start thinking about hiring a quality control manager (which, let’s face it, isn’t in most small business budgets), here’s what I mean: build quality checks right into your existing processes and rotate who’s responsible.
You know how they say too many cooks spoil the broth? Well, in quality control, having multiple sets of eyes can actually be a good thing. Have team members cross-check each other’s work. It’s not about playing gotcha – it’s about catching those little things that are easy to miss when you’re in the weeds with your own work.
“… I’m notorious for randomly looking in the client files. Is everything in the personnel file that should be, where is the I-9, is a copy of their worker’s compensation insurance policy in the proper folder“
Third point – and this is where a lot of people get stuck – leverage technology. And no, I don’t mean you need some fancy enterprise-level system. There are tons of affordable tools out there that can help automate your quality checks. Set up simple automated alerts for missed steps, use project management tools to track progress, maybe even throw in some basic templates.
Think of technology as your quality control safety net. It’s like having a really detail-oriented assistant who never gets tired and never forgets to check things.
Fourth – and this is something I absolutely swear by – do quick spot checks. I’m talking five minutes, tops. Pick something random, look it over, give some feedback. In fact, I’m notorious for randomly looking in the client files. Is everything in the personnel file that should be, where is the I-9, is a copy of their worker’s compensation insurance policy in the proper folder. The point is – we need things to go where they belong – every time. Because when something hits the fan (and you know it will), and the person who usually handles that is out that day, and (heaven forbid) it lands on my desk and I have to take care of it – if I go to the file, to find information I need, and it’s not where it’s supposed to be….well let’s just say “then Mama ain’t happy”.
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See, no need for formal audits or lengthy reviews. Spot checks are just enough to keep everyone on their toes and catch any patterns that might be developing.
And finally – this might be the most important piece – build a culture where quality matters. Now, I know “culture” can sound like one of those fluffy consultant terms, but it actually has some juice here. When your team takes pride in doing things right, half your quality control battle is already won.
Here’s how you make that happen: celebrate when things go right. When someone catches an error before it hits a client? That’s worth mentioning. When a team member suggests a way to improve a process? That’s gold.
And here’s a pro tip – while quality control isn’t about gotcha, it’s about helping each other out – let’s be honest – you might find yourself faced with the same ‘missed’ step, happening with the same team member, over and over. In spite of the fact that you’ve tried to mentor them through it, and develop tools to help them through it. If it’s still happening, then you’ve got yourself a nasty pattern. And you’re going to have to give it some focus (and by focus I mean corrective activity) to get it squared away.
Look, at the end of the day, quality control in a small business isn’t about perfection; and it isn’t just about avoiding mistakes.. It’s about having systems that work for you, not against you. – it’s about delivering value – oh, and making everyone’s job easier.
So start small. Pick one of these areas, make it work for your business, then add another. Before you know it, you’ll have a quality control system that actually works – without driving you crazy or breaking the bank.