Quality is defined by the roles of those who define it. It is difficult for most consumers to define quality. But they are able to recognize it when it appears. You may be able to identify the best athletic shoe manufacturer, but it is likely difficult to describe your quality standard. Your friends might have different opinions about which shoes are the best.

It doesn’t matter what product you are using, the difficulty of defining quality is there. This applies to both manufacturing and service companies. Imagine how difficult it can be to define the quality of products such as airline services and child-care facilities. A further problem is the changing meaning of quality. Today, quality is not defined in a single way. Quality can be defined as “performance according to standards.” Quality can be defined as “performance to standard.” Other people see it as “satisfying customer needs.” A machine part’s dimensions may be, for example, specified by its designers at 3.05 inches. This would be a target dimension of 3 inches. But the dimensions can vary from 2.95 to 3.05 inch. Similar to the above, while the hotel room service wait time may be set at 20 minutes, it may take an acceptable 10 minute delay. A 60-watt lightbulb will provide approximately 60 watts of light. The bulb that delivers 50 watts is not compliant with specifications. These examples show that conformance to specifications is directly quantifiable, but it may not directly relate to consumers’ perception of quality.

Fitness for usage refers only to the product’s intended function. A Jeep Cherokee and a Mercedes Benz are both considered fit for use if they serve transportation. The Jeep Cherokee is more fit for use if it is defined as transportation on mountain roads or carrying fishing gear. In that it is specific to a user group, fitness for use can be seen.

Value for money paid is a way consumers define quality. It’s a measure of the usefulness of a product or service. This definition combines economics and consumer criteria. It assumes that quality is price sensitive. Consider, for example, that you are interested in personal finance seminars and find out that the same class at the same college is being offered at different tuition fees. You will feel more value if you choose the cheaper seminar.

Quality of a product/service is often measured by its support services. Quality is more than the product or the service. It also refers to the people and processes that go into it. A university’s quality is not just measured by its staff or course offerings; it also measures the efficiency and accuracy with which paperwork is processed.

Quality has been around for a long time, but its meaning has changed. Quality management was a way to inspect products and ensure they meet specifications. It was a concept that existed in the early 20th century. Quality management was more statistically based in the 1940s, when World War II broke out. Quality control charts and statistical sampling were used to assess quality. The 1960s saw the rise of the “quality masters” who gave the concept a new meaning. Quality became an umbrella term that included all aspects of the organization and not just the production processes. Quality was viewed as an overall concept, since all functions were responsible to ensure product quality and they all share the cost of poor quality.

Since the 1970s, businesses have seen a significant shift in how they define quality. Quality used to be something that had been checked and rectified. However, the U.S. lost a lot of market share to foreign companies in the 1970s & 1980s. Major players in the automotive industry were Toyota and Honda. Sony and Toshiba dominated the consumer goods industry. These foreign competitors produced lower-priced goods of significantly higher quality. Companies needed to make drastic changes in quality programs if they were to survive. Many companies hired quality consultants and implemented quality training programs. It was a new way of thinking about quality. One result was that quality gained strategic significance.

Companies that are successful understand the importance of quality to be competitive. They understand that quality gives them a competitive advantage. Quality has been a key element of competition since the 1970s. This has generated a lot of interest, concern, as well as enthusiasm. Quality is becoming a key focus for every business line. Quality excellence is a requirement for many industries. These companies will fail to thrive if they don’t meet the standard. Businesses will aspire to obtain quality certifications and awards from national quality agencies, as you’ll see in the next chapter.

Author

  • luketaylor

    Luke Taylor is an educational blogger and professor who uses his blog to share his insights on educational issues. He has written extensively on topics such as online learning, assessment, and student engagement. He has also been a guest speaker on various college campuses.

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