What is Quality?
What is Quality
Various Definitions of Quality
The word “Quality” has different meanings for different people. Some of them are listed below. All are right as they each contain a key element of what Quality means.
> A degree of excellence of a product or service
> A degree of customer satisfaction
> Fitness for use or Fitness for purpose
> Conformance to requirements
> Freedom from defects or deficiencies
> Totality of characteristics which act to satisfy a need
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Quality as per Quality “Gurus”
Philips B Crosby
Quality is Conformance to requirements
- Edwards Deming
A predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at
low cost and suited to market
Bill Conway
Development, manufacture, administration and
distribution of consistently low cost and products and
services that customers need and want
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Definition as per ISO 8402 : 1994 (Previous)
Quality is defined as “the totality of characteristics of an
entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied
needs”
Stated Needs: Needs which are specified.
Example: I need a Cell Phone of 4GB ram and 64 GB
internal memory.
Implied Needs: Needs which are not specified but
understood
Example: I should be able to make calls and message
with the cell phone
Definition as per ISO 9000 : 2015 (Latest)
Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent
characteristics of an object fulfills requirements.
Degree: It is the measure of fulfillment.
Inherent: means existing in the object.
Characteristics: It is a distinguishing feature of the object.
Requirements: it is the demands, necessities, needs or
parameters that must me met or satisfied.
Eight Dimensions of Quality
1. Performance: How well a product perform specific
functions?
2. Reliability: How often the product fails? (Less fails is
more reliable)
3. Durability: How long the product lasts?
4. Serviceability: How easy is to repair the product?
5. Aesthetics: How the product look like?
- Features: What characteristics the product has?
7. Perceived Quality: What kind of reputation the product
has?
8. Conformance to Standards: How well the product
conforms to the standards?
Quality at different stages of Product Cycle
- Quality of Design
2. Quality of Process
3. Quality of Product
4. Quality of Service
5. Quality of Performance
Measurement of Quality
Product Quality at different stages can be measured or
compared by following ways;
1. Rejection Levels
2. Rework Levels
3. Control Charts
- Cost of Poor Quality Levels
- Customer Satisfaction Index
- Market surveys
- Feedback surveys
- History and Analysis of Warranty returns
9. History and Analysis of Field Failures
Some Clarifications with respect to Quality
> Quality does not mean Product quality only.
> Quality does not mean checking the product before
packaging.
> ISO 9001 certificate does not guarantee quality of
product, it is a certificate which provides
conformance of framework for management system.
> Quality and Class / Grade are different.
