Oct 18, 20236 min read

What Is Quality and Why Does It Matter?

Mastering the Basic concepts of Quality Management and the seven quality Tools

Table of contact:

Quality Is a Degree of Excellence (Distinguishing Attribute)

Quality Is a Conformance to Requirements

Quality Is Conform to Standards

Conclusion

Mastering the Basic concepts of Quality Management and the seven quality Tools

Introduction:

Quality is the degree of excellence or superiority in a product, service, or process. It's a critical factor that profoundly impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. But here's the twist: when we talk about quality, everyone might have a slightly different perspective. For some, quality means ensuring a product is defect-free. For others, it ensures the product or service consistently meets customer expectations.

When you purchase a product or service, you can gauge its quality by comparing it to others.

For example, consider a smartphone. To some, a high-quality smartphone means it's free from defects, has excellent performance, and meets their specific needs.

High-quality products and services improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

So, let's explore the different perspectives of quality.

Quality Is a Degree of Excellence (Distinguishing Attribute)

Quality is like a benchmark, something that can be measured when compared to similar things. When you purchase a product or service, like a car, you can compare it to similar offerings from different companies. The higher the quality of that product or service, the better the overall experience for you, as a customer. Quality matters because it directly impacts your satisfaction.

In the business world, it serves as a powerful tool. When customers receive high impacts on products or services, they become loyal patrons, leading to positive word-of-mouth advertising and increased revenue. Moreover, quality isn't confined to customer-facing aspects alone.

In manufacturing, it's a game-changer. Producing high-quality products reduces waste, increases efficiency, and translates to higher output and increased profitability for the company. Furthermore, quality is a guardian against defects. Companies implement quality control measures to identify and rectify defects before they snowball into significant issues. Quality makes your company more profitable. When a company consistently delivers high-quality products or services, it can command premium prices, translating into increased profits. Quality is not just a degree of excellence; it's a distinguishing attribute that shapes customer satisfaction, boosts efficiency, prevents defects, and ultimately drives profitability.

Quality Is a Conformance to Requirements

Quality is about meeting or exceeding the expectations and requirements of the customer. It's about ensuring that the product or service fulfills its intended purpose. Meeting the customer's requirements and expectations is the cornerstone of high-quality products and services. It's about delivering what was promised and fulfilling the purpose for which a product or service was intended. Quality is not just about excellence; it's also about conformance to requirements and a commitment to delivering what was promised. It's also about getting real value for your money. Quality goes beyond the price tag; it extends to the efficiency and effectiveness of what you're buying. It's about ensuring that you get your money's worth and, ideally, even more. Quality is fit for purpose. It's about ensuring that what you buy is a perfect match for its intended purpose, good enough to do the job. In essence, quality isn't just about meeting requirements; it's about delivering products and services that perfectly align with their intended purpose.

Quality Is a Fitness to Use

Let's dive into another crucial aspect of quality: it's all about fitness for use. Imagine you're in the market again, ready to make a choice. What's on your mind this time? It's not just about having a product; it's about having one that's perfectly suited for its intended use. Joseph M. Juran defined quality as 'fitness for use'. 'This means that the product or service should be designed to match the customer's needs and expectations. Let's take a practical example: driving a nail into a piece of wood. You could attempt it with a screwdriver, but a hammer would be the better fit for the job. The hammer is designed to provide the best possible fit for the task—it's efficient and effective. The concept of fitness to use is about ensuring that the product is designed to provide the best possible fit for its intended use. This means that the product should be reliable, easy to use, and provide the required level of performance. In essence, quality isn't just about having a product or service, it's about having one that's tailor-made to meet your needs and expectations.

Quality Is Free from Defects

Now, let's unveil another critical aspect: quality as being 'free from defect.' Imagine you're in the market again, ready to make a purchase. What's a fundamental expectation as a consumer? You expect the products you buy to be reliable, and free from any defects that hinder their intended purpose. Quality, at its core, is about ensuring that products conform to the specifications set by the manufacturer. However, what happens when there are deviations from these specifications? These deviations are defects—anything that prevents the product from functioning as intended. Defects can take various forms, from design flaws to manufacturing errors and even issues in how products are marketed. As a consumer, you have the right to expect reliable products that meet the intended requirements. You should be able to trust that manufacturers and companies deliver products that conform to the specified design.

Quality Is Conform to Standards

Now, let's delve into another critical dimension. quality as the 'conformance to standards.' Imagine you're in the market again, ready to make a purchase. What assurance do you seek as a discerning consumer? You expect products that not only meet requirements but also adhere to established standards. Quality, in its essence, means adhering to specific criteria and requirements. Philip Crosby, a quality guru, defined quality as 'conformance to requirements.' He emphasized that a key performance standard is 'zero defects.' This means that a product or service must meet the requirements that were set out for it and must be free of any defects. Conformity to standards goes beyond individual product requirements. It underscores the importance of meeting or complying with widely accepted rules or standards. Think of JCI accreditation or ISO certification, they are standards that companies can strive to meet to show that they are producing high-quality products or services. Standards serve as reference points for evaluating products and services. they ensure consistency, safety, and quality in what you purchase. For companies aiming to produce high-quality products or services, compliance with standards including laws, rules, procedures, guidelines, and protocols, is essential to produce high-quality products and services. In summary, quality means more than meeting basic requirements; it means adhering to recognized standards for excellence.

Quality is DRIP

Now, let's introduce our last perspective. quality is 'DRIP' which means Do It Right the First Time. Imagine you're in the market once again, ready to make a choice. What if there was a simpler way to define quality? And here DRIP will come into the picture. It is doing things right from the first time and every time. This definition emphasizes the importance of doing things correctly from the very beginning, and consistently. But what is the 'right thing'? It's all about meeting the customer's needs and expectations. This means adhering to design specifications, ensuring high product or service quality, and minimizing the chances of errors or defects. Doing it right the first time isn't just about quality; it's also cost-effective. It saves time, reduces expenses, and prevents rework or mistakes that could lead to dissatisfied customers. Furthermore, it's not a one-time effort. Doing it right the first time means maintaining consistent quality. This consistency spans from the planning stage to execution. In summary, quality, as 'DRIP,' means a commitment to getting it right from the start, every time, and maintaining that level of excellence.