The requirement of perception to validate quality improvements (Gransberg, 2010).
When I was working in Supply Chain Analytics the President of the company told once that perception was reality. At the time I was a strong proponent of quantitative data and felt that the answers always lied in the data as to whether quality improvements were validated. In time I refined my understanding of the importance of qualitative judgment of experienced people and developed an appreciation for non-quantitative methods for validating process improvements. In my work I am required to justify project expenses with a strong quantifiable payback that I can support with data value capture, but I also include the perceived value of my customers as well to add credence to the improvements.
How important do you feel the perception of quality improvement is compared to the quantifiable evidence of improvement?