What is Quality?
The level to which a product or service satisfies the expectations of its users or consumers is referred to as its quality. Quality can be an elusive concept, as it can be subjective and dependent on the needs and preferences of individual users. However, in general, quality products and services tend to have certain specific characteristics that make them more likely to meet the needs and expectations of their users. These characteristics may include the following:
- Reliability: Quality products and services are reliable and consistently perform as expected.
- Functionality: Quality products and services are able to perform the functions they are designed to do effectively and efficiently.
- Durability: Quality products are well-made and able to withstand wear and tear over time.
- Safety: Quality products and services are safe to use and do not pose any unnecessary risks to their users.
- Ease of use: Quality products and services are easy to use and understand, with clear instructions and intuitive design.
Quality is often an important factor for businesses and organizations, as it can impact customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. Ensuring the quality of products and services involves identifying and addressing potential issues at various stages of the development and production process, including design, production, testing, and distribution. This may involve using quality management tools and techniques, such as Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM).
Quality is defined in ISO 8402-1986 as:
“The sum of a product’s or service’s traits and attributes that bear on its capacity to meet stated or implied needs.”
ISO is an abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization, which is an international standard-setting organization. ISO is made up of representatives from many national standards organizations.
The term is in contrast to the word ‘quantity.’ When we hear the phrase “how much,” we immediately think of money. When they say ‘how good,’ we think about quality.