20 years of actori is a good opportunity to reflect on our convictions. In this article, we present our understanding of quality management. It is a central component of our self-image, and we are convinced that it continuously advances us and our work.
actori is constantly evolving: in addition to our team's strong entrepreneurial spirit, this is also due to our quality management structures. These form the basis for innovation and growth. actori's quality management is based on six perspectives: customer focus, leadership understanding, communication and collaboration, consistent relationship building, integrative analysis and decision-making processes, and continuous development of employees and the company.
Customer focus – we work in partnership with our customers
We work on our projects together with our customers. That is why our projects begin with listening, taking a close look at the status quo, and involving the stakeholder groups relevant to the project (e.g., employees, politicians, administrators). For us, customer focus means not only communicating, but also thinking, questioning, planning, and implementing together. Our processes are therefore consistently geared towards the expectations of our clients. It is our job to achieve clear coordination, ensure continuous availability, and provide transparent and honest communication. This ensures that everyone involved in the project is informed and involved at all times. In addition, project responsibilities are clearly defined at the beginning of a project: between actori project management, the consulting team (ensuring the dual control principle), and the customer.
Our understanding of leadership – we lead with clarity, personal responsibility, and passion
Our understanding of leadership is based on values that guide our actions and apply not only to managers but to all employees: results orientation, responsibility, performance orientation, passion, decisiveness, positioning, enjoyment, and communication. They form the basis of our internal communication and regular feedback processes, including project-related top-down and bottom-up feedback and biannual employee reviews. These form the starting point for the individual development of our employees, who can pursue a strength-oriented career path from intern to consultant, project manager, associate partner, and managing director. However, the existing career levels are not reflected in how we interact with each other—which is based on equality and team orientation.
Communication and collaboration – together we achieve more – internally and externally
We are characterized by a highly interdisciplinary team structure. This interdisciplinarity ensures that a wide range of perspectives come together, which we use specifically to develop holistic solutions – we think together, not alongside each other. We make targeted use of various exchange formats such as cross-team jour fixe formats, project-related coordination (also with customers), and internal sparring processes to bring different perspectives together. Transparent communication and information are ensured not only by the consistent meeting structure but also by our knowledge management and an intranet that is always kept up to date.
Building lasting relationships – Trust and reliable relationship building are the basis of our success
Relationship building is important to us on various levels: at the customer level, at the former employee level, and at the social level. Our relationship with customers does not end with a project. We ask customers about the long-term success of a project, collect project feedback, and create lasting added value for our project partnerships through various activities and formats such as industry mailings. We maintain contact with former employees—from interns to project managers—through regular mailings and regular get-togethers. Last but not least, conscious relationship building with regard to the social dimension is important to us: for example, we are involved in KulturZeitlos.
Integrative analysis and decision-making processes – we make informed, data-driven, forward-looking decisions that take all relevant perspectives into account
We ensure high quality in consulting projects right from the initial data analysis as part of the status quo analysis. Quantitative data is not the only important factor here – it is consistently supplemented by qualitative data. To ensure optimal project results, we draw on the knowledge of experts in our network as needed. In addition, it is important to us to consistently consider the project challenges from different perspectives in order to develop optimal solutions. The interdisciplinary actori team already brings a diversity of perspectives to the table, and depending on the project, broad participatory involvement of various interest groups on the part of our clients can offer valuable added value.
Continuous development – quality is not a state, but a continuous process
In addition to the feedback processes already described, our knowledge management system, which ensures continuous knowledge transfer, forms the basis of our continuous development. In addition to further developing our skills and employees, we are also working on implementing our overarching corporate strategy using the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) method – all employees are involved in topic-related teams and actively shape the further development of actori.
Here you can find more information about actori as a company.
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A contribution by Rhea Elbing, consultant.