For most companies, “quality” means better products, fewer defects, or more satisfied customers. But for Rene T. Domingo, quality is much bigger than that—it’s a mindset for how we manage everything in life.
“Quality management should no longer be a separate operational function,” says Domingo, adjunct professor at the Asian Institute of Management. “It should be the way of managing the business, business plans, and all its other activities.”
In an exclusive interview with Financial Adviser PH, Domingo reflects on one of the most defining moments of his career: a personal conversation with quality legend Dr. Joseph Juran, which challenged him to rethink what quality really means—and how far its impact can go.
The Day He Interviewed Dr. Juran
In 1997, Domingo sat down with Dr. Joseph M. Juran, one of the fathers of modern quality management. The takeaway from that rare conversation?
“Dr. Juran stressed that businesses must further expand their understanding of quality and the application of quality management,” Domingo recalls.
At the time, the idea of quality had already evolved—from “little q” (focused on manufacturing) to “Big Q” (applied across all functions). But Juran believed the evolution needed to go further.
“The terms ‘good management,’ ‘effective management,’ and ‘management’ would automatically incorporate the principles and practices of quality management,” Domingo explains.
Quality Is No Longer Just for Products
Since that conversation, Domingo says his personal definition of quality has changed forever.
“It becomes the way of doing and managing anything,” he says. “Whether it’s managing the quality of the environment or the quality of life on earth.”
For Domingo, quality isn’t just about conformance or cost anymore. It’s about creating systems—at work or in society—that are efficient, ethical, sustainable, and human-centered.
What If We Used Quality Thinking to Solve Social Problems?
Domingo believes that the same tools used to improve factory output or reduce customer complaints can—and should—be applied to larger societal challenges.
Think of sustainability, public health, or government efficiency. These are massive systems plagued by waste, miscommunication, inefficiencies, and poor outcomes—exactly the kinds of problems quality management is designed to solve.
“Quality thinking can be applied to environmental or social problems,” Domingo affirms. “It’s about improving the process and outcomes—no matter what the context.”
From Product Quality to Human Quality
Rene T. Domingo doesn’t just teach quality—he lives it. And thanks to his life-changing conversation with Dr. Juran, he now sees quality not as a department or a checklist—but as a guiding principle for leadership, decision-making, and even citizenship.
If you ask him what the future of quality looks like, he won’t just talk about Six Sigma or customer satisfaction scores. He’ll talk about something far deeper.
“Quality management becomes the way of doing and managing anything,” Domingo says. “Even the quality of life on earth.”
