Have you heard of Potemkin Quality System?

Earlies in the week, I had a discussion with some other Quality professionals. During this discussion, some one dropped this name.

Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.

In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).

A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.

Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.

If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.

Does your company have a PQS?

Kees, what a great post! There must be a bunch of them out there - even with an 'ISO' sticker in the front window.....:lol:

Kees, what a great post! There must be a bunch of them out there - even with an 'ISO' sticker in the front window.....:lol:

And a great fire alarm system inside.

I remember in the mid sixties being invited to see The_Battleship_Potemkin by the Socialist_Workers_Party_BritainTout side my school.
It was a great film.

Have you heard of Potemkin Quality System?


Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.

In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).

A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.

Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.

If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.

Does your company have a PQS?Actually - the Potemkin villages were "false fronts" or facades, with no real building behind them, much as movie sets are constructed to give the appearance of a real building. Generally, the term "storefront" implies a legitimate, but small time operation, which operates only in the front room of a street level commercial building and that it has no depth or back office to the operation.

See http://www.answers.com/topic/potemkin-village

Good catchy name for it Kales, I like it.

Does your company have a PQS?Probably not. I regularly butt my forhead into the odd wall, and it feels a lot like brick, not false fronts. (Ouch) :frust:

/Claes

Have you heard of Potemkin Quality System?

Earlies in the week, I had a discussion with some other Quality professionals. During this discussion, some one dropped this name.

Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.

In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).

A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.

Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.

If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.

Does your company have a PQS?

Wonderful post Kales!!
I have come across numerous companies,feigning ISO,than I care to remember.Good you brought out this point as an awakening call to many,like a 'Good Morning' in the middle of the night. :applause:



Kees, what a great post! There must be a bunch of them out there - even with an 'ISO' sticker in the front window.....:lol:

I will go farther....ISO sticker in a bejewelled gold frame. :lol::biglaugh:

Actually - the Potemkin villages were "false fronts" or facades, with no real building behind them, much as movie sets are constructed to give the appearance of a real building. Generally, the term "storefront" implies a legitimate, but small time operation, which operates only in the front room of a street level commercial building and that it has no depth or back office to the operation.

See http://www.answers.com/topic/potemkin-village

Yes Wes,they are facades only,nothing more nothing less.But facades are very capable of pulling the wool on the eyes of the ones,who 'think' they understand the difference!

/Umang

Have you heard of Potemkin Quality System?

Earlies in the week, I had a discussion with some other Quality professionals. During this discussion, some one dropped this name.

Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.

In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).

A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.

Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.

If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.

Does your company have a PQS?

This post is a class by itself.You have given a food for thought to many. :agree1:

Actually - the Potemkin villages were "false fronts" or facades, with no real building behind them, much as movie sets are constructed to give the appearance of a real building. Generally, the term "storefront" implies a legitimate, but small time operation, which operates only in the front room of a street level commercial building and that it has no depth or back office to the operation.

See http://www.answers.com/topic/potemkin-village

Thanks for clarifying the OP's notion.:thanks:

A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.

Expanding on Kales' excellent post; there are also people that live in a PQS. Just look at the "ego wall (http://www.wordspy.com/words/egowall.asp)" in this person's office....;)

A personality store front?

Stijloor.

Expanding on Kales' excellent post; there are also people that live in a PQS. Just look at the "ego wall (http://www.wordspy.com/words/egowall.asp)" in this person's office....;)

A personality store front?

Stijloor.

Well said.Hats off to you. :applause:

/Umang