Integrated quality approach in business networks

Organizations’ central business networks consist of different kinds of stakeholders. Also the broader networks of regional or global operators and business clusters should be taken into account in the business of an individual organization. Even competitors are members of these networks. People of organizations operate in networks internally and are involved with external networks, e.g. expert networks and science communities.

Traditional quality management approaches are not appropriate within networked business environments. Network quality originates from network members, structure and phenomena, and their characteristics. Quality of a business network is based on the multiple win/win transactions among the network actors. According to ISO 9000 the definition of concept network quality is ”degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of the network fulfills needs and expectations of the involved network members”.

 Quality and quality management in the networked business environments are considered in the following slide set.