Expert Highlights the Importance of Quality Management: Understand the Key Reasons for Its Implementation

The concept of quality can spark theoretical debates, even among analysts with extensive experience on the subject. However, as these concepts evolve, some definitions are becoming increasingly unanimous—especially in the context of seeking engagement and brand strengthening, regardless of the market in which a company operates.

Within this more consensual view, it is clear that quality is widely accepted as the absence of defects or anomalies in a product or service provided. While it may seem simple, this definition is essential in the pursuit of customer or user satisfaction.

Taking a deeper look, potential failures corrected during the process can also be considered part of quality, as it involves anything that improves the final result and delivery. From another perspective, a cost-benefit analysis may also fit into this context, although efficiency is not always included in the most widely accepted studies, as it is often analyzed separately within management practices.

The fact is that, regardless of the approach or details included in the adopted analysis, investments in Quality Management have become a focal point of discussion in the corporate world in recent years. In fact, a global study from last year estimated that, by 2023, growth in this area would approach 10%.

In this scenario, Varun Rana stands out as a Quality Management expert with experience in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical and consumer products. Varun holds a postgraduate degree in Microbiology and has over 17 years of multifaceted experience leading quality initiatives.

“Quality Management, like other concepts, must engage everyone involved in organizational projects. In addition, it is essential to first identify the key areas where quality processes need to be more precise. These are the first steps for those aiming for the so-called Excellence Model, which is the pinnacle of Quality Management,” says Varun.

The healthcare sector—where Varun has worked for nearly two decades—is one of the clearest examples of quality’s importance. Patient safety is the central goal, making prevention a priority that requires every effort from Quality Management and is, therefore, indispensable.

According to the expert, beyond ensuring user safety, Quality Management also leads to resource optimization—that is, to the kind of efficiency considered by some studies and analysts in the field.

In India, his home country, Varun Rana received a Certificate of Appreciation from Reckitt Benckiser, awarded by the Senior Vice President of the South Asia region. He was recognized for his role in implementing the children’s product Nurofen, a contribution considered significant, with the launch deemed a success.

“Quality Management has also entered a new phase, marked by a new philosophy. This shift reflects changing user expectations. It's important to understand the value your audience attributes to what you're offering. Often, that value goes beyond money. However, advances and modern trends do not make essential concepts obsolete—such as fully meeting all necessary specifications,” he adds.

In line with the changes cited by the expert, Quality Management can be divided into four major stages based on its historical evolution. The first is inspection for production control. Later came the statistical phase, which was less mechanical and involved sample-based analysis.

In the second half of this evolution came the quality assurance phase, where the concept of “zero defects” gained traction. This period coincided with World War II, which brought the significant challenge of resource and labor shortages.

More recently, the fourth stage emerged: Strategic Quality Management, which focuses on total quality, evaluating the entire organization. This aligns with Varun Rana’s explanation of the need for full organizational engagement.

“The outcome of all these efforts in terms of company resources and investments is greater agility and, at the same time, a more reliable process. As a result, competitiveness and credibility increase. Without a doubt, we are looking at the exact formula for brand strengthening,” he concludes.

Experience and Achievements

Varun Rana is the Head of Quality Compliance at Reckitt LCC in the United States. An experienced leader, he promotes a quality-driven culture rooted in science and risk analysis, delivered in a flexible, innovative, and customer-focused manner. These core elements of his career are essential for achieving another objective mentioned in the interview: the Excellence Model.

Among his achievements, he transformed a local supply facility into a global supply platform capable of requesting and maintaining regulatory approvals. To do this, he led teams with diverse profiles and was responsible for developing capabilities and mentoring teams aligned with the company's mission and vision.

As shown, Quality Management in sectors like healthcare is based on even more rigorous control standards. The tools used for its implementation and oversight strongly depend on the style of the project—an example being the Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram. However, these tools warrant a separate discussion.

“Talking about Quality Management—with quality and excellence—means not overlooking a participatory and dynamic management approach. Improvement may involve delegating tasks and sharing information, but everything depends on the characteristics of each project. That’s why the current analysis involves the role and contribution of every stakeholder, of every audience connected to the project and its production. It's a quality control process that inevitably cuts across all institutional areas, whether in the public or private sector,” he concludes.