Dynamic integration of quality practices into the strategic management process of organisations in the printing and packaging industry

Over the past ten years, intense global competition, changing customer needs and the changing business environment has forced many organisations to examine their organisational goals and to re-evaluate how to meet these challenges. This extreme global competition has forced many organisations to develop action plans to respond to an increasingly competitive market. One such action plan identified was the integration of quality practices and principles with strategic planning of the organisation. The research investigated the importance and usefulness of integrating quality practices in the strategic management process of organisations in the Printing and Packaging industry in the eThekwini Municipality. The main objective of the research was to explore and present the dynamic integration of quality practices into the strategic management process of organisations in the Printing and Packaging industry in the eThekwini Municipality, Durban. Selected quality practices such as TQM, SQM, ISO 9001:2000, Hoshin Kanri and Six Sigma were identified. These practices were integrated with the strategic management processes of the organisations and empirically tested. The empirical data was obtained from a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The review of literature acknowledged the importance and advantages of integrating quality practices with the strategic management process. It also identified selected quality practices that can improve the strategic planning process. The study consisted of questionnaires administered to 30 organisations. The study indicated that although the majority of the organisations integrated the two practices, 97% of the organisations found that this integration was difficult initially, but with some perseverance achieved success, while 3% of the organisations did not implement the integration. The results of the study reveal a positive correlation between quality practices and strategic management. Hence, it can be accepted that the integration of quality practices within the strategic management process has directed the organisation toward continuous improvement, a competitive advantage, a greater market share and sustainability, greater customer satisfaction and increased profitability and sales.