Going Global: Pathway to Quality Enhancement
Oct 25-2019
Going Global: Pathway to Quality Enhancement
Alongside his much sought-after lectures at NSD, Prof. Zhou Qiren has been preoccupied with cracking the codes of quality enhancement.
Thus far this year, together with 32 Chinese entrepreneurs-cum-observers, Prof. Zhou has visited 26 Chinese and foreign companies in the four Chinese cities of Shenzhen, Changsha, Beijing and Qingdao, as well as three European countries which stand for superb quality: Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.
His first finding for Chinese companies is that small places can be the birthplace of big firms on the global stage. Hansgrohe hails from a mountainous village in Stuttgart, Germany and rakes in 1 billion euros in annual revenue, of which 77% is from overseas business. Eindhoven, which Philips calls home, has a population of 220,000 and hosts an impressive lineup of companies.
Prof. Zhou also advises Chinese firms to ditch the entrenched belief that Chinese preferences are different from those of foreign consumers. Good products are made for the whole world and it’s important to think big and different. Danish firm Oticon accounts for 50% of global market of hearing aids.
Moreover, companies should position their quality to align with consumers’ expectation. Many a Chinese company has got smug with the domestic market, but some prioritize overseas markets to embrace stringent quality requirements. Huawei is one such example, making relentless efforts to improve quality to win over clients in developed countries. Going global turns out to be more than just trendy – it’s a practical pathway for quality enhancement.