Ensuring the quality of the product throughout the supply-chain is not easy. This is especially true in the complex supply-chains of the manufacturing industry which branch out and comprise a multitude of agents, businesses, artisans and art masters who are often located in non-contiguous territories. Quality is obtained with a robust standardization of the operational processes and is spread through all activities along the value chain: design standards, training, operational support, regular audits, acquisition of rigorous quantitative metrics.

The top products of the made-in-Italy, high quality goods industry are worldwide appreciated: no exception to the top quality of the final product is to be tolerated. It often happens that in search of maximizing excellence along the supply-chain, aspects of cost efficiency and reducing waste are neglected. Only recently made-in-Italy industry companies are introducing “Lean Manufacturing” management practices that can provide assistance in this regard, but they often find themselves totally unprepared to implement these specific tools.