For QUT Library there are two central concepts to the term ‘Quality’ which shapes our overall quality management:
- Continuous improvement of our services, activities and processes; and,
- Input and involvement from all of our key stakeholders.
The Library's Quality Framework
The Library uses the Balanced Scorecard (by Kaplan and Norton) as its quality framework. This framework requires the Library to consider its business from four perspectives:
- Client – What do our clients expect from us? How do we want them to perceive us?
- Learning and Growth – To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve? How will we grow the business?
- Internal Processes – How will we excel at key processes to continuously improve and satisfy client/financial obligations?
- Financial – What are our financial obligations? How do we manage our return on investment?
It is a simple, flexible tool which assists the Library in strategic planning, measuring performance and decision making.
Quality Cycle
The Library utilises a four-step quality cycle framed in the context of the Balanced Scorecard:
- Plan – What do we know about where we need to improve? Based on what we know, what has to be done, by whom, when, how and with what resources?
- Implement – Assign responsibility, allocate resources, set timeframes and implement actions.
- Review – What were the outcomes? To what extent did we achieve what we hoped for? What did we learn along the way?
- Improve – What do we now know and what do we need to do better? How do we incorporate this into planning?
