In 2023, global spend on digital transformation was over $2 trillion, but 70% of those initiatives failed to meet their goals. Why? Despite the big spend, there’s a fundamental misalignment: organisations prioritise speed and innovation over quality and core competencies. When tech teams are rushed to implement the “next big thing”, quality gets sacrificed and they become vulnerable to technical debt, security flaws and operational failures.
In a survey of tech executives 40% said a lack of skills and quality had held their business back for at least 4 months. The kicker? Many companies with big digital transformation plans were being held back by gaps in expertise and rigor – just when they were betting on automation, AI and scalability to power their future. This is not a short term problem, it’s a structural weakness that’s the difference between long term success and expensive failure.
While adopting new tools can make a business look agile and forward thinking, neglecting quality and core competencies can turn those same tools into liabilities. Without a foundation of quality and competence, even the most advanced tech can blow up and erode trust and stability.
So what makes quality and competence the foundation of a tech organization?
In the sections below I’ll break down the essential ingredients of quality assurance, the value of deep expertise and why these are non negotiable for building a resilient and adaptable business in a world of rapid tech change.
Table of Contents
The Quality Imperative: Building Resilience in Rapid Change
For a tech company, quality is more than just no bugs or no crashes – it’s about resilience. In a world of rapid change, quality enables adaptability, scalability and stability. Quality-minded companies are better prepared for the unpredictable – sudden changes in user demand, regulatory updates or cyber threats.
Take the example of “Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment” (CI/CD) pipelines. Companies that embed rigorous testing protocols into their CI/CD process don’t just find issues faster – they create a framework where quality assurance is automatic and aligned with every deploy. By embedding quality checks into the workflow, companies can move fast while having the standards to scale with confidence.
So Quality Assurance (QA) becomes not just a department but a practice for everyone. When everyone – developers, product managers, designers – sees quality as part of their job the company builds a safety net for the cracks that scaling can reveal.
Competence as Core: Expertise Matters at Every Level
As the tech landscape grows, competence is the foundation of a strong, future-proof team. But competence isn’t always easy to find. In a Gartner survey 64% of IT executives said lack of skilled employees was the top barrier to adopting emerging technologies. It’s not just about hiring experts; it’s about creating a culture where deep, practical knowledge is valued and grown in house.
A competent team isn’t just technical skilled. They’re also good problem solvers, decision makers and able to navigate the ethical implications of technology. When Apple launched its Health app it was met with backlash for excluding key features for women’s health—a clear oversight in a largely male dominated team. This shows the importance of a diverse, skilled workforce that can bring different perspectives to complex projects.
So competence is more than technical skills; it’s about having the vision and foresight to build technology that reflects the world it’s serving. The ideal team member doesn’t just “know the code” but knows the bigger picture—how each line of code affects users, business and society.
Quality and Competence: The Real Drivers of Resilience
To survive and thrive you need a foundation that’s strong and flexible. Here’s why quality and competence matter:
1. Reducing Long Term Risks and Compliance
Let’s take cybersecurity for example. When security protocols aren’t properly quality assured they become weaknesses in the network. Quality assurance teams with deep knowledge of cybersecurity are worth their weight in gold because they know the tactics attackers use in the real world and can build strong defences. Without that expertise even small mistakes can lead to breaches, fines and a big hit to the organisations reputation.
Compliance is also about quality and expertise. Regulatory bodies are now scrutinising tech companies to prevent data misuse and fair play. Teams with regulatory knowledge and a strong quality ethic can ensure each system update is compliant and the company is protected from legal risks.
2. Enhancing User Trust and Experience
Quality isn’t just about internal operations – it’s deeply connected to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Products and services that are well crafted and backed by experts reflect well on the brand. Users notice these details whether it’s a seamless app experience, accurate and relevant data insights or a user interface that anticipates their needs.
Competence in customer facing roles like UX design and customer support also builds user trust. For example a technically skilled support team that knows the product inside out can resolve customer issues quicker and better. This good experience not only retains the customer but can also make them a brand advocate.
3. Adapting to Change with Precision
Change is relentless and companies need to adapt faster. Competence is key here: if the team lacks basic skills or a commitment to quality they will struggle to integrate new technology or update old systems. Quality and deep technical expertise makes an organisation agile so they can adapt quickly, efficiently and with minimal risk.
Consider the transition to cloud-based platforms. Companies that rush this process without skilled teams will experience performance issues, data integrity problems and even higher costs. Companies that prioritize competence and quality take a more strategic approach and can scale without sacrificing reliability or customer trust.
Continuous Improvement and Competency Frameworks
First off: continuous improvement isn’t a buzzword; it’s a survival mechanism. If you’re in tech and not constantly figuring out how to do your job better, faster, smarter you’re falling behind. Look at Toyota and their famous “Kaizen” philosophy where every employee is always looking for ways to improve processes no matter how small. It’s not glamorous, but it works, they get better every day.
Bring that kind of thinking into a technical organization whether it’s software development, hardware manufacturing or cloud infrastructure and you’re not just improving the work; you’re improving the people doing the work. It’s about creating a habit not just reacting to failure.
In 2020 a manufacturing plant I was involved with had 27 quality notifications on direct-sale drilling services tools. As a quality leader I identified the root cause was competency gaps in the technicians. I created 270 new competencies to bridge those gaps. Result: quality issues decreased and technicians now have a structured competency framework to work with to perform better and more reliable.
Building Competency Frameworks That Matter
The tricky part is getting people to buy into the idea that they should always be improving. It’s easy to say “Be better” but without a structure to support that mindset it falls flat. That’s where competency frameworks come in. These aren’t just HR tools to measure whether someone can code in Python or fix bugs; they need to include quality competencies. What does that mean? If you’re a software engineer it’s not just about cranking out code that works; it’s about writing code that’s testable, maintainable and scalable. It’s about thinking beyond the immediate task and understanding how your work impacts the bigger picture.
The hard part is getting all these competencies to line up with your organization’s quality goals. You can’t have people improving things in a vacuum; they’ve got to know how their improvements contribute to the bigger mission. This is where leadership has to step up.
If your employees don’t have a clear sense of what the company is trying to achieve from a quality perspective how are they supposed to align their work with those goals? They can’t.
Leaders need to make it painfully obvious what their priorities are and that starts with communicating quality objectives regularly and transparently.
Leadership’s Role in Driving Quality
Look at Intel. They’ve been doing this for years with their “Copy Exactly!” strategy where manufacturing processes are replicated down to the smallest detail across facilities to ensure quality. Intel’s leadership doesn’t just hope people will follow the plan, they make sure everyone knows why it matters and how their work fits into the bigger picture. This isn’t micromanagement; it’s alignment. Everyone, whether they’re working on a microprocessor in Arizona or Israel, knows that quality isn’t negotiable. That’s the kind of clarity you need when you’re talking about aligning individual competencies with organisational goals.
So what does that look like in practice? Let’s say you’re releasing a new software update and the company’s goal is to reduce bugs by 20%. That’s not just the QA team’s responsibility; it’s everyone’s. Developers need to write better code, project managers need to set realistic timelines, and the customer support team need to provide feedback to improve the product.
Every department, every team, every person needs to know their part in achieving that goal and their performance should be measured accordingly. That’s how you get alignment. It’s not just about telling people what to do; it’s about connecting the dots between their daily tasks and the company’s long term quality goals.
And let’s not forget the future. The world isn’t slowing down and neither is the demand for quality. We’re moving into a world of autonomous systems, AI driven decision making and quantum computing. Quality will become even more critical because the stakes are higher. If you think a bad software update is a problem now, wait until AI is running your supply chain or managing medical devices. The margin for error is shrinking and organisations that don’t take quality seriously from top to bottom will get left behind.
Building a culture of quality and competence isn’t just about processes, frameworks or goals – it’s about people. It’s about making sure every single person in your organisation, from the entry level coder to the CTO is obsessed with getting better. It’s about creating an environment where improvement is continuous, quality is non negotiable and everyone knows how their work fits into the bigger picture. That’s how you build a company that doesn’t just survive but thrives. Anything less and you’re just another tech company waiting to be disrupted.
Embedding Quality and Competence in the Tech Organization
Future proofing a tech organisation starts with putting quality and competence into its DNA. Here are some practical ways to do that:
1. Make Quality a Core Value
Quality should be a guiding principle not an afterthought. This starts with leadership championing quality initiatives and encouraging a “zero-defect” mindset. Companies like Toyota and Amazon have set the benchmark for quality because they have made it part of their operating philosophy. In tech this means regularly reviewing processes, adopting robust testing frameworks and creating a culture where excellence is expected.
2. Create Routes for Continuous Learning
Competence is dynamic it must be nurtured. Create continuous learning programs to keep teams up to date with the latest technology, methodologies and industry standards. Google’s “20% time” which allows employees to spend a fifth of their work week on self directed projects has led to innovations like Gmail. By providing routes for skill expansion organisations retain top talent and create an environment that values growth.
3. Hire for Skill and Culture Fit
When building a team look for people who fit the company’s values of quality and competence. This means not only looking for technical expertise but also ensuring candidates resonate with a culture of excellence and innovation. Those who understand and buy into the organisation’s commitment to quality will contribute more effectively and stay engaged.
4. Link Competence Reviews to Performance Metrics
To keep standards high organizations should review the competence of their teams regularly. By linking performance reviews to competence in key areas companies can identify skills gaps early and train accordingly. This proactive approach means the workforce will be ready for the tech landscape that’s changing fast.
The Way Forward: Building for Longevity
For companies that want to survive in a competitive world, quality and expertise aren’t nice to have. They’re essential. Leaders who get this are already winning. By investing in solid quality processes and an expert team, companies can build a robust framework that can weather the storm and stay ahead of the competition.
In the end, innovation without quality and expertise is short lived. The companies that put both first will not only build things that work, they’ll build things that last.
