Basic Concepts

of Quality
Different people interpret quality
differently
Few can define quality in measurable terms
that can be operationalized.
When asked what differentiate their product
or service, the banker will answer service,
health care worker will answer quality health
care,
the hotel restaurant employee will answer
customer satisfaction, and
the manufacturer will simply answer quality
product.
What is Quality?
ATTRIBUTES are used to describe QUALITY examples:

Beauty,
Goodness,
Freshness,
Expensiveness etc

because different people perceive these attributes differently,
the use of attributes to describe quality
is IMPRECISE.

Quality,therefore needs to be defined.
What is Quality?
According to the Oxford Dictionary (2003), quality
is defined as being
the degree of excellence of a thing;
relative nature or kind or character of a thing;
class or grade of something determined by this;


Oxford Learners
Dictionary
Quality Defined: ISO 9000:2000
Degree to which a set of inherent
characteristic fulfils requirements
(3.1.1)
Characteristic distinguishing feature, i.e.
physical, sensory, temporal or functional
etc (3.5.1)
Requirement need or expectation that is
stated or implied or obligatory, i.e. custom
or common practice for you! (3.1.2)
Who defines Quality - the Q Lens
products
people
processes
outcomes
results
benefits
Lens of the
organisation
Lens of the
customer
Customer behaviours
Surveys on the factors we (customers) are influenced by shows
that:
30% consider Quality as a decisive factor to buy (the good
name and reputation of a product)
19% were persuaded by just the good name of manufacturer
17% by the price and only price
14% by the products tried and tested features
Pay more for Quality among the 17% of only Price
9% on average
It costs 5-20 times more to win a new customer than
to keep an existing one

Formal Definition of Quality
Degree to which a set of inherent
characteristics fulfils requirements
(ISO 9000:2005 clause 3.1.1)

Characteristic distinguishing feature, i.e. physical, sensory,
temporal or functional etc (3.5.1)

Requirement need or expectation that is stated or implied
or obligatory, i.e. custom or common practice for you! (3.1.2)
What is Quality Management?
Quality Management (QM) (3.2.8)
Coordinated activities to direct and control an
organization with regard to quality
Management system (MS) (3.2.2)
System to establish policy and objectives an to achieve
those objectives

Quality Management system (QMS) (3.2.3)
Management system to direct and control an organization
with regard to quality
Performance objectives for quality
Being RIGHT
Being FAST
Being ON TIME
Being ABLE TO CHANGE
Being PRODUCTIVE
Quality
Speed
Dependability
Flexibility
Cost
What does the word quality mean to you?
Think about your past experiences
staying at various hotels. Did you stay at
a quality hotel? What about the
experience made it a quality
experience for you?

Think about a product you bought. How
can you define its quality?

Quality in different areas of society
Area Examples
Airlines On-time, comfortable, low-cost service
Health Care
Correct diagnosis, minimum wait time, lower
cost, security
Food Services Good product, fast delivery, good environment
Postal Services fast delivery, correct delivery, cost containment
Academia
Proper preparation for future, on-time
knowledge delivery
Consumer Products Properly made, defect-free, cost effective
Insurance Payoff on time, reasonable cost
Military Rapid deployment, decreased wages, no graft
Automotive Defect-free
Communications Clearer, faster, cheaper service
What is Quality?
Conformance to specifications (British Defense
Industries Quality Assurance Panel)
Conformance to requirements (Philip Crosby)
Fitness for purpose or use (Juran)
A predictable degree of uniformity and dependability,
at low cost and suited to the market (Edward Deming)
Synonymous with customer needs and expectations (R
J Mortiboys)
Meeting the (stated) requirements of the customer-
now and in the future (Mike Robinson)
The total composite product and service
characteristics of marketing, engineering,
manufacturing and maintenance through which the
product and service in use will meet the expectations
by the customer (Armand Feigenbaum)
What is Quality?
The degree to which a system, component, or process meets
(1) specified requirements, and
(2) customer or users needs or expectations IEEE

The totality of features and characteristics of a product or
service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied
needs ISO 8402

Degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils
requirements ISO 9000:2000
15
Definitions of Quality
Transcendent definition: excellence
Product-based definition: quantities of
product attributes
User-based definition: fitness for
intended use; meeting or exceeding user
expectations
Value-based definition: quality vs. price
Manufacturing-based definition:
conformance to specifications
More about Quality
Realistic but demanding STANDARDS;
Getting things RIGHT FIRST TIME; It costs
less to prevent a problem than it does to
correct it
Influences the relationship with CUSTOMERS;
Influences how COMPLAINTS are dealt with;
Something to do with how things LOOK and
FEEL.

17
Modern Importance of Quality
The first job we have is to turn out
quality merchandise that consumers
will buy and keep on buying.
If we produce it efficiently and
economically, we will earn a profit.
- William Cooper Procter
Dimensions of Quality
Garvin (1987)
1. Performance:
Will the product/service do the intended job?
2. Reliability:
How often does the product/service fail?
3. Durability:
How long does the product/service last?
4. Serviceability:
How easy to repair the product / to solve the
problems in service?
Dimensions of Quality
5. Aesthetics:
What does the product/service look/smell/sound/feel like?
6. Features:
What does the product do/ service give?
7. Perceived Quality:
What is the reputation of the company or its
products/services?
8. Conformance to Standards:
Is the product/service made exactly as the designer/standard
intended?