QM002

What is Quality?

om
March 2011

The summary of discussions at QualityGurus.com

.c
us
ur
yG
lit
ua
Q
 QM002

What is Quality?

The summary of discussions at QualityGurus.com

March 2011

What is Quality? 1 • Value-added care and service

• The challenge in defining quality is that it is a sub- • The maximum Variation we can get away with
jective concept, like beauty. Everyone has a differ- • Doing the things right the first time and every
ent definition based on their personal experiences. time

om
• Bringing the perfectness in the system from all
E respects to give the optimum solution
• If the criteria meets the bench mark criteria
• Reduction of variation around the “Mean”.
Definitions • State of Mind
• The totality of characteristics of an entity that bear • Commitment to improve

.c
on its ability to satisfy stated and implied need. 2 • Understanding and optimizing the whole system
• Quality is the ongoing process of building and of value exchange
sustaining relationships by assessing, anticipat-
E
ing, and fulfilling stated and implied need.
• The degree to which a set of inherent characteris-
us
tics fulfills requirements. 3 Eight dimensions of quality
• Conformance to requirements - Crosby • Product Quality Dimensions 4
ur
• Fitness for use - Juran 1. Performance
2. Features
E
3. Flexibility
4. Durability
yG

5. Conformance
Quality from different point of views: 6. Serviceability
• From customer point of view: quality means fit- 7. Aesthetics
ness for use and meeting customer satisfaction. 8. Perceived Quality
• From process point of view: quality means con-
• Service Quality Dimensions
lit

formance with the process design, standards and

specifications. 1. Timeliness
• From product point of view: quality means the 2. Courtesy
3. Consistency
ua

degree of excellence at an acceptable price.

• From the cost point of view: quality means best 4. Convenience
combination between costs and features. 5. Completeness
6. Accuracy
E
E
Q

Various Informal Definitions

Three key elements of quality which influence a prod-
• Excellence
uct or service’s ability to satisfy customer needs :
• Adding value
• Quality of Design : A product needs to be de-
• Satisfaction
signed to satisfy customer needs.
• Conformance to customer needs
• Quality of Conformance : Closeness with which
• Attributes most important to the customer
the finished product or supplied service matches
• Error-free output
the specifications of the original design.
• Meeting Legal, Regulatory & Customer Require-
• Quality of Reliability : ability of the finished
ments.
product to provide trouble free performance in the
• Usability
field, over an acceptable time period.
1
http://www.qualitygurus.com/courses/mod/forum/discuss.php?d
=204 E
2
ISO 8402:1994
3 4
ISO 9000:2005 http://www.qualitygurus.com/gurus/list-of-gurus/david-garvin/