The impact of operational quality: a supply chain view

Purpose – The paper seeks to examine the impact of operational quality management practices within the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis is used to identify relationships between a firm's internal and external (customer and supplier focused) operational quality practices and measures of product quality and customer service. Findings – Not only do both internally and externally focused quality management practices impact performance, but externally focused efforts have a greater impact on performance and are perceived by managers to be of greater importance. Research limitations/implications – The study does not suggest how specifically quality management practices impact performance, how the efforts of individual supply chain members contribute to overall success, or how performance gains should be shared by the various chain members. Practical implications – The study provides managers with guidance on how to leverage relationships with suppliers and customers to improve product quality and customer service. Originality/value – The study provides a supply chain as opposed to a firm‐level perspective on managing a firm's quality.