2003-08-12
FIRMS in the PHOTOGRAPHY SECTOR and TOTAL QUALITY APPROACH
As competition increases, organizations trying to expand their market share in the branch they operate, have started showing a growing interest to the concept of quality for the products and services they produce. In Turkey, it is possible to consider firms in the photography sector as organizations and examine them according to the way they approach quality....
Today, total quality approach is considered as an important tool for quality improvement. This concept has a significant role in providing basis for a systematic approach to establish consumers needs and requirements. In small companies the owners and managers personality may effect the structure of the company culture. So information about modern management techniques of the top managers is an important factor.
Firms in the photography sector are in general medium and small-scale organizations, which can be classified as follows:
1) Importers,
2) Producers,
3) Retailers,
4) Laboratories,
5) Photography studios,
6) Firms which publish about photography,
7) Firms engaged in the tourism of photography,
8) Institutions where photography education is offered.
This classification can be elaborated with subtitles. For example, some retailers are part of the distribution chain of a specific importer and sell only first hand goods, whereas some other retailers, who have no license as a formal retailer and operate individually outside of this chain, sell both first and second hand goods. In some studios only advertisement- or commercial-oriented work is performed, whereas others specialize in wedding photography and portraits. Similarly, some importing firms operate merely in the field of photographical equipment, whereas in others there is a specific department that deals with this.
As a result, organizations in the photography sector offer their services and the products which they produce or import, at competitive prices. Managers who are in search of the answer to the question: What can I do to get ahead of resembling firms that operate synchronously? should instead be searching for the answer to the question: What more can we do to satisfy our customers in addition to what we have done so far? As the answers to this question arise, the organization will start having a more special place in the heart of its customers. As the case is with all organizations, the answer to this question for firms in the photography sector also lies in generating customer-oriented methods under continuously increasing competitive circumstances.
After World War II, the Japanese became an example to the whole world with their quality approach. Japan has been successful in its quality reform; those days when Japanese goods were considered as junk are long gone. Turkish firms have recently also shown noteworthy progress regarding their approach to quality, and some are being awarded for this.
There are some structural differences between large and small companies and these differences effects the thoughts about total quality concept. Small businesses are not miniatures of large firms. If we compare these two, the second group have been slow to adopt total quality approaches which involves cultural changes at all levels of a company. Small and medium sized companies form the basic structure of most economies with their employees. The top management must recognize the need for change. Quality efforts can increase market share and profitability as they are positively correlated concepts.
Although Turkish firms for processing-developing-printing equipment and studio lighting systems exist, our photography sectors survival depends mostly on Japanese, American, Swedish, British, German and French producers. During my negotiations concerning this project, I found it promising that Turkish firms have long been aware of the quality approach, and that they have been making efforts to observe the new systems developed by main producers on this subject. Yet, in this sector which consists of medium and small-scale organizations there is still a need for a specific process to establish self-confidence, as well as quality standards in production and services. Excuses such as This stuff is for larger firms, We are really not up to this., We couldnt possibly accomplish this. must be given up. With the realization of the above-mentioned process, all sorts of complaints from amateurs and professionals in theTurkish photography sector, which I have been observing as a consumer for 15 and an educator for 6 years, will come to an end. Also, we should not forget that Japanese firms have an undeniable effect on our photography sector, and that they have had a worldwide impact on quality practices, which we should just as well try to achieve in our managerial approaches.
According to Total Quality Management, even employees who have no direct role in the production process, should be involved in the activities having to do with the creation, functioning, and development of quality systems. Everyone who is part of the system, from general director to clerk, is responsible for an organizations activities concerning quality.
It can be possible, with our amateur-professional consumers-and although widespread, our limited number of producers and importers- to create a warmer atmosphere and more proper relationships within the whole of our sector? What do you think? Can Total Quality Approach, which aims at increasing the standards for all the activities of an organization, and which has made itself an indisputable place worldwide, show us the way?
LETS QUESTION QUALITY FIRST:
WHICH ONE is of BETTER QUALITY, ZENIT or LEICA ?
Are Zenit cameras of superior quality, or Leicas? Before deciding on this and saying something like, Nothing beats Leica, we should consider the fact that these two brands vary greatly in price and serve the needs of different customer groups.
First, we need to define quality, because it is not used here in the colloquial sense. A products quality consists of features aimed at satisfying a consumers needs and demands as economically as possible. The functions of products, such as
1) cameras,
2) mini-laboratories,
3) studio lighting systems,
4) hand-held or built-in light meters
which we offer our customers, must correspond with their demands. Also, the price of the product must be in accordance with our potential customers paying possibilities. For example, trying to sell a camera with a titanium body, which has complex measures and adjustment systems to a customer who will only make use of it during summer vacation, may bring our firm short-term financial income. Yet, it will contradict with the above definition, as well as modern managerial practice. Quality is not necessarily always used in the sense meaning the best. Rather, it should imply the conformity of a product with demanded needs, instead of its superior characteristics. Quality is the extent to which a product meets the demands and expectations of its customer.
The members of market oriented environments, customer satisfaction is a key concept and they are aware of the requirements of their customers. Primary aim of the quality improvement program is first to attain and than to exceed world class quality levels. Therefore large enterprises must advice and apply company wide quality improvement programs through the organisations including last chain retailers. Resistant against change efforts must be eliminated. These efforts will bring the management and employees close together to create greater synergy between individual and corporate goals. Total quality program must create a company wide realization that quality is an important part of employees daily activities and they will see the results by job satisfaction and greater control over their work. If market requirements are important, all the employees including managers should be aware of this matter.
For a product or service to be of good quality, it must consist of an appropriate combination of the following:
1) Meeting a consumers true needs,
2) Price,
3) Duration of use.
Although Zenit cameras may not have as superior resolving power as Leicas do, they are still good quality cameras in their own line. What matters for Zenit users is to be able to actualize the results they expect from a Zenit camera as
1) if Zenit cameras -offered to customers in the market- do consist of the characteristics shown in their design, in other words; if conformity in design exists,
2) if it can actualize the customer's expectations,
3) if it can reach the level of performance included in its design
then Zenits conformity in quality exists.
MUST WE START from the VERY BEGINNING ?
One of the events that gives me most pleasure is to observe the effort that is being made to change things in the Sirkeci marketplace. I have been going around the Sirkeci 1st and 2nd Hand Photography Market, which is being held for our seminar students nearly once every 2 months for the last 6 years, and recently I noticed that most products are given labels showing the price and property information about the equipment. Color film merchants have acquired refrigerated showcases. They are being painstakingly careful about correct storage methods. By keeping color films refrigerated, they wish to sell them without ruining the color performance developed by producers with great efforts. They wish not to ruin special features of color films, such as capturing the red color of an apple as realistically or abundantly as possible. These efforts, aimed at obtaining conformity in design quality and performance measures, are worth appreciation. We should all be asking ourselves if it could be possible to improve these efforts and make them even more widespread.
We know that in the photography sector most of the equipment comes from abroad. There most certainly must be inspection stations within the manufacturing process of these equipment worth thousands or even ten-thousands of dollars, marks or yen. The equipment comes from the manufacturing firm with precise degrees of reliability and sensitivity, ready to function in the best possible way. But what happens next? Are transportation and storage conditions controlled in any way? Do imported products undergo any kind of inspection? Perhaps we will all agree that, after having payed nearly $2000 for a 35 mm. equipment, it is a customers most natural claim to be able to obtain aperture values of the lens in half-stop intervals without skipping, and it is also his/her right to take a photograph in 4000th of a second, after having made the necessary adjustments. The value 1/4000 of course, may be obtained with the tolerance allowed by the producer.
It is quite likely that various kinds of complications, such as
1) oil leakage,
2) damage in electronic circuits
occur due to transportation and storage problems. We should keep in mind that photographical equipment that are displayed in dusty shop windows, under direct sunlight, are liable to lose their functions. Also, we must accept that customers in our photography sector have the right to know that they have invested their money in equipment that has been stored under appropriate conditions. Therefore retailers, who are the last link of the distribution chain, must be scrupulous about storage conditions.
A privately owned small or medium sized businesses are in the distribution chain of major manufacturers. Manufacturer firms encourage their main dealers to improve customer service level and efficiency. Training in the small company may provide by the manufacturer.
Meanwhile, I came across FOTEK Color Photo-Lab in the list of Firms that belong to the Consumer Protection Agreement and hereby, I would like to congratulate the executives and their staff, for their modern, up-to-date methods. I believe that we are all obliged to give them support for their efforts and carry through this starting point even further.
IS THIS SECTOR LEGALLY BEHIND ?
In Turkey there is a specific legislation for importing goods. One of the main problems consumers experience in the photography sector is that most of the equipment comes without a Users Manual in Turkish, although this is binding by law. Because of this, consumers experience difficulties and cannot effectively use their equipment. I have seen and examined several translated manuals and even some books on photography, which either I acquired with my own efforts or my students found. Some of them are exceptionally well translated. Apart from knowing the English and Turkish languages, the translation of such documents requires some knowledge about photography. Translations made by people who are unfamiliar to photography jargon, are both misleading and wearing away the Turkish language. We must free ourselves of hastily and formally translated, incomprehensible manuals. According to the legislation, in case a users manual is incorrectly translated or if some important subjects are not included in the translation, merchants, retailers, agencies, manufacturers-producers and importers will all be held equally responsible. However, the cause to overcome these deficiencies must not be such legal obligations, rather it should be because our sector is aware that its customers are entitled to this service.
The same things apply for care and repair services. Firms that offer these services must have a specific standard. So called craftsmen, who discover the inner structure of our equipment as they repair it, and are ironically talented at finding extra screws in devices, damage the equipment in terms of its endurance and its capabilities. Also, they harm the brands image. We must see to it that all repair services become as witted and meticulous as they should be, with their electronic calibration devices and units, that of Ahmet Akdag and Nazmi Klcer.
Another reason for the brand image being harmed is because the Worldwide Guarantee given to the equipment by main producers is not recognized in Turkey. Main producers are likely to find it strange if they hear that eventhough a product has been sold, it goes back in the system because it has been damaged. Insensitive approaches like We are not responsible for repairing equipment that comes from abroad should be replaced by modern managerial techniques.
For designing a quality control system it is necessary to conduct marketing research. A company must focus on quality attributes which are important to the customer. Therefore the first step must be to identify those quality dimensions important to the customers. After determining the measures of proposed quality like the speed of providing service, personnels technical proficiency, attitude to customers to understand their real needs, supporting degree after the sale, firms ability to meet customers requirements, ease of access to service, decor of facilities, cleanliness, appereance of employees and the like customersmay rank their preferences. It is also advisable to locate the control areas for quality measures like inputs, transformation process and consumers feedback. According to the importance of quality attributes as perceived by the customer, we may develop quality control levels. Open ended comment cards, mail and telephone survey of known customers can be used as to control the system. Highest priorities should be given to those quality measures that were most frequently referenced as the selection of quality measures are important.
PERSONNEL is a PRECIOUS FACTOR for the COMPANY
Personnel who are in direct contact with customers can be considered as our companys mirror. We should know that the more we qualify our personnel the more positive feedback and higher service quality we will receive from them. Since our salesmen will encounter consumers who have a certain degree of knowledge about photographical equipment, they must be trained and informed about the functions of the equipment they sell. This is especially important for importing firms. Lets give an example of a potential customer who wants to buy a studio lighting system and asks the Kelvin degree of the lights. If this information is not found in manuals an explanation like The Kelvin degree is normal may not be sufficient. The customer may derive 5500 degrees from the above expression, and if the real number is 5200 degrees, then we will have an unsatisfied customer simply because we did not train our salesmen. Furthermore, we will be deprived of the sale of filters that mount 5200 to 5500 degrees.
On-the-job training programs for our staff are very important in terms of actualizing our quality objectives and forming customer satisfaction. Our staff will gradually think of this education process as a valuable asset instead of a burden. They will realize that being educated about and trained for the tasks they perform, will keep them informed professionally and also reinforce their position within the sector. Like all firms having long term goals, firms in our photography sector must also give importance to on-the-job training. I cant send my staff for training, well fall behind on our work or My staff works 12 hours per day, if we do the training during weekends they will severely object types of complaints must be overcome with suitable solutions. Knowledge gives strength and it will definitely flow back to companies.
Regardless of all complaints, it is easier for leading importing firms to train and supervise their own staff, compared to other importers who have not established a formal distribution chain. Some firms sell the equipment they import through retailers, which they cannot keep under effective control. Such firms must stop being so relaxed and hold back on excuses like I sell products to many stores. What do I know the kind of staff they employ, how they work, what they do Those units where the final consumer comes, must employ the kind of staff who can respond to, understand or even guess a customers needs.
COMPANY and COUNTRY CULTURE
In my opinion one of the biggest problems faced by the ones who talk about "quality" is the understanding of what is ment by this term. Although quality means different things to different people, I believe we, the parts of a worldwide industry, can agree on one definition which everyone can understand and that makes sense. In everyday (street) language, the meaning of quality is "excellent", "luxurious". In industrial life quality means market-place quality or meeting agreed requirements or the degree to which a spesific product satisfies the wants of a spesific customer. Trade (shopping) requests can only make (turn) someone a (real) customer if her/his wishes are supported by purchase force (in other words, money). For industrial purposes and for all kinds of industrial output, the most fundemental of all quality definations is this one: market-place quality and market means money (money supported shopping idea.)
The concept quality is to do with everyone. To apply it to a company, it is necessary to re-define the quality concept so that everyone feels the relation of quality to her/himself and their professional positions etc.
Today, the Japanese nation a a superior position in many markets all over the world. The members of this nation have a totally different historical culture from Western countries. They reversed the early image of bad quality Made in Japan products to good quality ones. Japanese consumable goods are recognized as quality products from a Sony (teenager) walkman to a powerful Toyota (businessman) car and this is universally accepted. General (and industrial) quality definitions are mostly belong to Japanese writers (educators). Most of our photographical equipments have Japanese brands on them. Those high quality equipments please and satisfy us because of such quality definations/dimensions and (hard) applications (practically used, weared and applied) of quality mentality. It is accepted that Total Quality Management (T. Q. M.) methodology is the real secret of Japanese success. Of course country culture may affect the company but it can be minimized by education. The principles of TQM are the same whether the organisation is in Japan or in the United Kingdom or United States of America. In a company the atmosphere and settled culture can not be removed overnight but re-definition can be succesful in a period of 1-3 years depending mainly one company menagement. Company culture is set by the company (management) not by the country as no one else can have a big effect on its employees.
In the global world today, all countries are market places for their citizens and other nations. It is obvious that doing the best what the job requires, no not the best but apply the jobs requirements by % 100, will please people (customers, simply "us"). We are the producers of only one type of product or service, which means, in our daily life the defination "consumer" best fits for everybody as we are generally customers of others. As far as I understood from the books of father's and gurus of scientific management and total quality approach like Ishikawa, Taylor, Juran, Deming, for a better and happier world we (everybody) are in need of Total Quality Applications in our daily life. Photography world may use these managerial concepts also.
TELL YOUR COMPLAINTS to the COMPANY,
TELL YOUR FRIENDS YOUR SATISFACTION
In order to establish quality policies in our firms, managements must first and foremost believe in them and feel the necessity. If quality has not been recognized as a concept, it will become quite difficult to reach success. For any concrete steps to be taken, the firm must set its objectives and prepare a quality manual. The International Standards Organization defines customer satisfaction as determining and satisfying a customers needs. Most firms either do not hear or do not want to hear about their customers complaints, and choose to believe that they are satisfied. While formulating service quality, the firm should make empathic evaluations, always trying to see things from a customers point of view. Under present competitive circumstances, modern firms that think about their long-term goals should take into consideration customers who go to the trouble of informing the firm of their complaints. Most customers will feel offended when unsatisfied, and will tell their friends (who may be potential customers as well) about their complaints having to do with a product or service. Instead of saying The products we sell are of high quality, what else can we do? we should take our customers seriously, spare some time for their problems, and try to determine their expectations. We can win more customers by paying attention to our former customers proposals, and this method is far cheaper than advertisement campaigns.
The attention of managers and researchers has focused on quality control systems as consumers have become more conscious about quality. We can summarize the determinants of it as follows and these determinants will generate principal quality dimensions.
1) Sales service,
2) Technical support,
3) Repair and maintenance,
4) Complaint handling,
5) Simplicity in ordering and billings,
6) Delivery.
Photography, which usually has been examined as an artistic or technical subject, will from now on be dealt with as a managerial subject as well. If you too believe that, modern managerial techniques can be implemented in the photography sector, that there are both positive and negative aspects of the products and services you have acquired within this sector, then we should get in touch to share our knowledge and experiences. It is everyones duty to develop their virtues, and try to get rid of their bad habits. Attempting to create quality standards for our firm should also be our duty. We must believe that quality serves people. Last but not least, we should not overlook the fact that if quality is to become an individual and social life style, the above mentioned duty will gain a patriotic aspect as well.
Firms in the photography sector are in general medium and small-scale organizations, which can be classified as follows:
1) Importers,
2) Producers,
3) Retailers,
4) Laboratories,
5) Photography studios,
6) Firms which publish about photography,
7) Firms engaged in the tourism of photography,
8) Institutions where photography education is offered.
This classification can be elaborated with subtitles. For example, some retailers are part of the distribution chain of a specific importer and sell only first hand goods, whereas some other retailers, who have no license as a formal retailer and operate individually outside of this chain, sell both first and second hand goods. In some studios only advertisement- or commercial-oriented work is performed, whereas others specialize in wedding photography and portraits. Similarly, some importing firms operate merely in the field of photographical equipment, whereas in others there is a specific department that deals with this.
As a result, organizations in the photography sector offer their services and the products which they produce or import, at competitive prices. Managers who are in search of the answer to the question: What can I do to get ahead of resembling firms that operate synchronously? should instead be searching for the answer to the question: What more can we do to satisfy our customers in addition to what we have done so far? As the answers to this question arise, the organization will start having a more special place in the heart of its customers. As the case is with all organizations, the answer to this question for firms in the photography sector also lies in generating customer-oriented methods under continuously increasing competitive circumstances.
After World War II, the Japanese became an example to the whole world with their quality approach. Japan has been successful in its quality reform; those days when Japanese goods were considered as junk are long gone. Turkish firms have recently also shown noteworthy progress regarding their approach to quality, and some are being awarded for this.
There are some structural differences between large and small companies and these differences effects the thoughts about total quality concept. Small businesses are not miniatures of large firms. If we compare these two, the second group have been slow to adopt total quality approaches which involves cultural changes at all levels of a company. Small and medium sized companies form the basic structure of most economies with their employees. The top management must recognize the need for change. Quality efforts can increase market share and profitability as they are positively correlated concepts.
Although Turkish firms for processing-developing-printing equipment and studio lighting systems exist, our photography sectors survival depends mostly on Japanese, American, Swedish, British, German and French producers. During my negotiations concerning this project, I found it promising that Turkish firms have long been aware of the quality approach, and that they have been making efforts to observe the new systems developed by main producers on this subject. Yet, in this sector which consists of medium and small-scale organizations there is still a need for a specific process to establish self-confidence, as well as quality standards in production and services. Excuses such as This stuff is for larger firms, We are really not up to this., We couldnt possibly accomplish this. must be given up. With the realization of the above-mentioned process, all sorts of complaints from amateurs and professionals in theTurkish photography sector, which I have been observing as a consumer for 15 and an educator for 6 years, will come to an end. Also, we should not forget that Japanese firms have an undeniable effect on our photography sector, and that they have had a worldwide impact on quality practices, which we should just as well try to achieve in our managerial approaches.
According to Total Quality Management, even employees who have no direct role in the production process, should be involved in the activities having to do with the creation, functioning, and development of quality systems. Everyone who is part of the system, from general director to clerk, is responsible for an organizations activities concerning quality.
It can be possible, with our amateur-professional consumers-and although widespread, our limited number of producers and importers- to create a warmer atmosphere and more proper relationships within the whole of our sector? What do you think? Can Total Quality Approach, which aims at increasing the standards for all the activities of an organization, and which has made itself an indisputable place worldwide, show us the way?
LETS QUESTION QUALITY FIRST:
WHICH ONE is of BETTER QUALITY, ZENIT or LEICA ?
Are Zenit cameras of superior quality, or Leicas? Before deciding on this and saying something like, Nothing beats Leica, we should consider the fact that these two brands vary greatly in price and serve the needs of different customer groups.
First, we need to define quality, because it is not used here in the colloquial sense. A products quality consists of features aimed at satisfying a consumers needs and demands as economically as possible. The functions of products, such as
1) cameras,
2) mini-laboratories,
3) studio lighting systems,
4) hand-held or built-in light meters
which we offer our customers, must correspond with their demands. Also, the price of the product must be in accordance with our potential customers paying possibilities. For example, trying to sell a camera with a titanium body, which has complex measures and adjustment systems to a customer who will only make use of it during summer vacation, may bring our firm short-term financial income. Yet, it will contradict with the above definition, as well as modern managerial practice. Quality is not necessarily always used in the sense meaning the best. Rather, it should imply the conformity of a product with demanded needs, instead of its superior characteristics. Quality is the extent to which a product meets the demands and expectations of its customer.
The members of market oriented environments, customer satisfaction is a key concept and they are aware of the requirements of their customers. Primary aim of the quality improvement program is first to attain and than to exceed world class quality levels. Therefore large enterprises must advice and apply company wide quality improvement programs through the organisations including last chain retailers. Resistant against change efforts must be eliminated. These efforts will bring the management and employees close together to create greater synergy between individual and corporate goals. Total quality program must create a company wide realization that quality is an important part of employees daily activities and they will see the results by job satisfaction and greater control over their work. If market requirements are important, all the employees including managers should be aware of this matter.
For a product or service to be of good quality, it must consist of an appropriate combination of the following:
1) Meeting a consumers true needs,
2) Price,
3) Duration of use.
Although Zenit cameras may not have as superior resolving power as Leicas do, they are still good quality cameras in their own line. What matters for Zenit users is to be able to actualize the results they expect from a Zenit camera as
1) if Zenit cameras -offered to customers in the market- do consist of the characteristics shown in their design, in other words; if conformity in design exists,
2) if it can actualize the customer's expectations,
3) if it can reach the level of performance included in its design
then Zenits conformity in quality exists.
MUST WE START from the VERY BEGINNING ?
One of the events that gives me most pleasure is to observe the effort that is being made to change things in the Sirkeci marketplace. I have been going around the Sirkeci 1st and 2nd Hand Photography Market, which is being held for our seminar students nearly once every 2 months for the last 6 years, and recently I noticed that most products are given labels showing the price and property information about the equipment. Color film merchants have acquired refrigerated showcases. They are being painstakingly careful about correct storage methods. By keeping color films refrigerated, they wish to sell them without ruining the color performance developed by producers with great efforts. They wish not to ruin special features of color films, such as capturing the red color of an apple as realistically or abundantly as possible. These efforts, aimed at obtaining conformity in design quality and performance measures, are worth appreciation. We should all be asking ourselves if it could be possible to improve these efforts and make them even more widespread.
We know that in the photography sector most of the equipment comes from abroad. There most certainly must be inspection stations within the manufacturing process of these equipment worth thousands or even ten-thousands of dollars, marks or yen. The equipment comes from the manufacturing firm with precise degrees of reliability and sensitivity, ready to function in the best possible way. But what happens next? Are transportation and storage conditions controlled in any way? Do imported products undergo any kind of inspection? Perhaps we will all agree that, after having payed nearly $2000 for a 35 mm. equipment, it is a customers most natural claim to be able to obtain aperture values of the lens in half-stop intervals without skipping, and it is also his/her right to take a photograph in 4000th of a second, after having made the necessary adjustments. The value 1/4000 of course, may be obtained with the tolerance allowed by the producer.
It is quite likely that various kinds of complications, such as
1) oil leakage,
2) damage in electronic circuits
occur due to transportation and storage problems. We should keep in mind that photographical equipment that are displayed in dusty shop windows, under direct sunlight, are liable to lose their functions. Also, we must accept that customers in our photography sector have the right to know that they have invested their money in equipment that has been stored under appropriate conditions. Therefore retailers, who are the last link of the distribution chain, must be scrupulous about storage conditions.
A privately owned small or medium sized businesses are in the distribution chain of major manufacturers. Manufacturer firms encourage their main dealers to improve customer service level and efficiency. Training in the small company may provide by the manufacturer.
Meanwhile, I came across FOTEK Color Photo-Lab in the list of Firms that belong to the Consumer Protection Agreement and hereby, I would like to congratulate the executives and their staff, for their modern, up-to-date methods. I believe that we are all obliged to give them support for their efforts and carry through this starting point even further.
IS THIS SECTOR LEGALLY BEHIND ?
In Turkey there is a specific legislation for importing goods. One of the main problems consumers experience in the photography sector is that most of the equipment comes without a Users Manual in Turkish, although this is binding by law. Because of this, consumers experience difficulties and cannot effectively use their equipment. I have seen and examined several translated manuals and even some books on photography, which either I acquired with my own efforts or my students found. Some of them are exceptionally well translated. Apart from knowing the English and Turkish languages, the translation of such documents requires some knowledge about photography. Translations made by people who are unfamiliar to photography jargon, are both misleading and wearing away the Turkish language. We must free ourselves of hastily and formally translated, incomprehensible manuals. According to the legislation, in case a users manual is incorrectly translated or if some important subjects are not included in the translation, merchants, retailers, agencies, manufacturers-producers and importers will all be held equally responsible. However, the cause to overcome these deficiencies must not be such legal obligations, rather it should be because our sector is aware that its customers are entitled to this service.
The same things apply for care and repair services. Firms that offer these services must have a specific standard. So called craftsmen, who discover the inner structure of our equipment as they repair it, and are ironically talented at finding extra screws in devices, damage the equipment in terms of its endurance and its capabilities. Also, they harm the brands image. We must see to it that all repair services become as witted and meticulous as they should be, with their electronic calibration devices and units, that of Ahmet Akdag and Nazmi Klcer.
Another reason for the brand image being harmed is because the Worldwide Guarantee given to the equipment by main producers is not recognized in Turkey. Main producers are likely to find it strange if they hear that eventhough a product has been sold, it goes back in the system because it has been damaged. Insensitive approaches like We are not responsible for repairing equipment that comes from abroad should be replaced by modern managerial techniques.
For designing a quality control system it is necessary to conduct marketing research. A company must focus on quality attributes which are important to the customer. Therefore the first step must be to identify those quality dimensions important to the customers. After determining the measures of proposed quality like the speed of providing service, personnels technical proficiency, attitude to customers to understand their real needs, supporting degree after the sale, firms ability to meet customers requirements, ease of access to service, decor of facilities, cleanliness, appereance of employees and the like customersmay rank their preferences. It is also advisable to locate the control areas for quality measures like inputs, transformation process and consumers feedback. According to the importance of quality attributes as perceived by the customer, we may develop quality control levels. Open ended comment cards, mail and telephone survey of known customers can be used as to control the system. Highest priorities should be given to those quality measures that were most frequently referenced as the selection of quality measures are important.
PERSONNEL is a PRECIOUS FACTOR for the COMPANY
Personnel who are in direct contact with customers can be considered as our companys mirror. We should know that the more we qualify our personnel the more positive feedback and higher service quality we will receive from them. Since our salesmen will encounter consumers who have a certain degree of knowledge about photographical equipment, they must be trained and informed about the functions of the equipment they sell. This is especially important for importing firms. Lets give an example of a potential customer who wants to buy a studio lighting system and asks the Kelvin degree of the lights. If this information is not found in manuals an explanation like The Kelvin degree is normal may not be sufficient. The customer may derive 5500 degrees from the above expression, and if the real number is 5200 degrees, then we will have an unsatisfied customer simply because we did not train our salesmen. Furthermore, we will be deprived of the sale of filters that mount 5200 to 5500 degrees.
On-the-job training programs for our staff are very important in terms of actualizing our quality objectives and forming customer satisfaction. Our staff will gradually think of this education process as a valuable asset instead of a burden. They will realize that being educated about and trained for the tasks they perform, will keep them informed professionally and also reinforce their position within the sector. Like all firms having long term goals, firms in our photography sector must also give importance to on-the-job training. I cant send my staff for training, well fall behind on our work or My staff works 12 hours per day, if we do the training during weekends they will severely object types of complaints must be overcome with suitable solutions. Knowledge gives strength and it will definitely flow back to companies.
Regardless of all complaints, it is easier for leading importing firms to train and supervise their own staff, compared to other importers who have not established a formal distribution chain. Some firms sell the equipment they import through retailers, which they cannot keep under effective control. Such firms must stop being so relaxed and hold back on excuses like I sell products to many stores. What do I know the kind of staff they employ, how they work, what they do Those units where the final consumer comes, must employ the kind of staff who can respond to, understand or even guess a customers needs.
COMPANY and COUNTRY CULTURE
In my opinion one of the biggest problems faced by the ones who talk about "quality" is the understanding of what is ment by this term. Although quality means different things to different people, I believe we, the parts of a worldwide industry, can agree on one definition which everyone can understand and that makes sense. In everyday (street) language, the meaning of quality is "excellent", "luxurious". In industrial life quality means market-place quality or meeting agreed requirements or the degree to which a spesific product satisfies the wants of a spesific customer. Trade (shopping) requests can only make (turn) someone a (real) customer if her/his wishes are supported by purchase force (in other words, money). For industrial purposes and for all kinds of industrial output, the most fundemental of all quality definations is this one: market-place quality and market means money (money supported shopping idea.)
The concept quality is to do with everyone. To apply it to a company, it is necessary to re-define the quality concept so that everyone feels the relation of quality to her/himself and their professional positions etc.
Today, the Japanese nation a a superior position in many markets all over the world. The members of this nation have a totally different historical culture from Western countries. They reversed the early image of bad quality Made in Japan products to good quality ones. Japanese consumable goods are recognized as quality products from a Sony (teenager) walkman to a powerful Toyota (businessman) car and this is universally accepted. General (and industrial) quality definitions are mostly belong to Japanese writers (educators). Most of our photographical equipments have Japanese brands on them. Those high quality equipments please and satisfy us because of such quality definations/dimensions and (hard) applications (practically used, weared and applied) of quality mentality. It is accepted that Total Quality Management (T. Q. M.) methodology is the real secret of Japanese success. Of course country culture may affect the company but it can be minimized by education. The principles of TQM are the same whether the organisation is in Japan or in the United Kingdom or United States of America. In a company the atmosphere and settled culture can not be removed overnight but re-definition can be succesful in a period of 1-3 years depending mainly one company menagement. Company culture is set by the company (management) not by the country as no one else can have a big effect on its employees.
In the global world today, all countries are market places for their citizens and other nations. It is obvious that doing the best what the job requires, no not the best but apply the jobs requirements by % 100, will please people (customers, simply "us"). We are the producers of only one type of product or service, which means, in our daily life the defination "consumer" best fits for everybody as we are generally customers of others. As far as I understood from the books of father's and gurus of scientific management and total quality approach like Ishikawa, Taylor, Juran, Deming, for a better and happier world we (everybody) are in need of Total Quality Applications in our daily life. Photography world may use these managerial concepts also.
TELL YOUR COMPLAINTS to the COMPANY,
TELL YOUR FRIENDS YOUR SATISFACTION
In order to establish quality policies in our firms, managements must first and foremost believe in them and feel the necessity. If quality has not been recognized as a concept, it will become quite difficult to reach success. For any concrete steps to be taken, the firm must set its objectives and prepare a quality manual. The International Standards Organization defines customer satisfaction as determining and satisfying a customers needs. Most firms either do not hear or do not want to hear about their customers complaints, and choose to believe that they are satisfied. While formulating service quality, the firm should make empathic evaluations, always trying to see things from a customers point of view. Under present competitive circumstances, modern firms that think about their long-term goals should take into consideration customers who go to the trouble of informing the firm of their complaints. Most customers will feel offended when unsatisfied, and will tell their friends (who may be potential customers as well) about their complaints having to do with a product or service. Instead of saying The products we sell are of high quality, what else can we do? we should take our customers seriously, spare some time for their problems, and try to determine their expectations. We can win more customers by paying attention to our former customers proposals, and this method is far cheaper than advertisement campaigns.
The attention of managers and researchers has focused on quality control systems as consumers have become more conscious about quality. We can summarize the determinants of it as follows and these determinants will generate principal quality dimensions.
1) Sales service,
2) Technical support,
3) Repair and maintenance,
4) Complaint handling,
5) Simplicity in ordering and billings,
6) Delivery.
Photography, which usually has been examined as an artistic or technical subject, will from now on be dealt with as a managerial subject as well. If you too believe that, modern managerial techniques can be implemented in the photography sector, that there are both positive and negative aspects of the products and services you have acquired within this sector, then we should get in touch to share our knowledge and experiences. It is everyones duty to develop their virtues, and try to get rid of their bad habits. Attempting to create quality standards for our firm should also be our duty. We must believe that quality serves people. Last but not least, we should not overlook the fact that if quality is to become an individual and social life style, the above mentioned duty will gain a patriotic aspect as well.
An article by Faik Basaran,
http://www.faikbasaran.net
faikbasaran@faikbasaran.net
http://www.faikbasaran.net
faikbasaran@faikbasaran.net
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