How can quality and process managers increase their contribution to value creation in today’s economic climate? Vincent Fischer recently explored this question in the DGQ blog. After all, these roles don’t contribute to value creation directly — but indirectly. That’s why it makes sense to:
Let’s focus on one often overlooked point: embedding strategic decisions into processes. This issue arises regularly in customer projects but is frequently postponed — leaving valuable potential untapped.
Make Strategy Tangible in Process Descriptions
Saying that quality managers should connect strategic decisions with processes is still a rather vague recommendation. Two aspects are particularly important:
That leaves room for interpretation — and here’s a clear thesis:
Simply stating and publishing strategies — on posters, in internal newsletters, or on a “Goals & Strategies” page in the management system — isn’t enough. Strategies only become effective when they are explicitly embedded into specific points in real process descriptions.
Holistic Thinking Helps Uncover Dissonance
This thesis is rooted in a holistic view of the organization. Senior management knows what’s happening on the ground — and frontline employees can easily relate their work to broader company goals. When strategy and process are visibly connected, every employee can reflect on their actions in terms of business impact. This allows them to recognize gaps or contradictions between strategy and practice. If a dissonance arises, that doesn’t necessarily mean operations need to change. It could also mean strategies need to be questioned or adjusted. And maybe that’s why many companies avoid making this connection — they fear the uncomfortable scrutiny.
Why bother stating the strategic goal behind a specific process or even a single step? Because doing so does not distract from the essentials — it gives them meaning.
Connection Creates Meaning, Understanding, and Appreciation
Linking strategies with operational tasks creates one key benefit: meaning.
Employees understand why they do something and how it contributes to the big picture. This:
It also shows genuine appreciation. When management invites people to understand the "why" behind their work and opens space for discussion, employees are seen not as robotic executors — but as thoughtful contributors. Whether employees actually take up that invitation is secondary. What matters is the underlying mindset and the space created for participation.
Find the Right Balance
Should every process step now be tied to strategic goals?
Relax.
Of course not — the linkage should be applied with care and balance. But what that balance looks like shouldn’t be decided by management alone. It’s an ongoing organizational dialogue: Are the links sufficient — or lacking? This doesn’t mean every process step should explain how it drives growth or reduces complaints. But some visible connections must exist.
What If There’s No Connection at All?
If there’s no link at all between strategies and operational processes, it usually means one of the following:
In all cases, it’s a red flag. Because the strategy-process connection enables alignment, empowers employees, and signals respect for their contributions. Claims that employees don’t want this connection are often just excuses by management to avoid change. This is exactly where quality and process managers come in: With their skills and perspective, they can initiate, moderate, and drive the organizational dialogue on linking strategy and process.
But let’s be clear: Creating that initial connection is a leadership responsibility — and it must start at the top.
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