6.1 Introduction to Quality
The Pursuit of Quality
Businesses worldwide strive relentlessly to provide quality products and services to consumers. A good quality product is considered a given by the consumer. The success of a business depends on reading and understanding consumers’ perceptions regarding the quality of the product or service provided by the company. The aim of the company is to bridge any gap between the consumer’s expectations regarding the quality of a product and its performance.
Defining Quality from the Consumer’s Perspective
To fill or at least reduce the above-mentioned gap, the emphasis should be on identifying how a consumer measures the quality of a product or service. Similarly, how is the quality of a pen measured? Should it be measured in terms of its longevity, its price, or its performance? This chapter specifically discusses various consumer-oriented definitions of quality.
Historical Perspective
Prior to the 1980s, quality was not a primary concern for North American manufacturers. However, as high-quality goods began to flood the North American markets from Japan, it became evident that North American companies had fallen behind in this regard. Japanese products, particularly in the automotive industry, gained preference among consumers who recognized their superior level of quality.
Quality in Operations Management
In the contemporary business landscape, quality can be broadly defined as the degree to which a product or service meets or surpasses the customer’s expectations. This concept holds significant importance in the field of operations management.
Determinants of Product Quality
For any product, the quality is determined by two primary factors: Design Quality and Process Quality:
Design Quality
Design quality can be described as the quality that a product has in terms of the actual characteristics of the product. Think about the design of your favourite cell phone. The decisions made by Marketing as well as the Design team will determine the way your phone will operate, the quality of the sound, and the features it has, not to mention the way it looks, feels and lasts. Below are some facets of product quality (Garvin, 1987).
| Design Quality | Description | Cellphone Example |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Primary operating characteristics | Clarity of sound, speed of connection |
| Durability | Ability to withstand damage | A dropped phone withstands damage |
| Reliability | Long-lasting: how long before a breakdown occurs | Several years of trouble-free performance |
| Features | Extra characteristics, bells, and whistles | Extra storage space, long-lasting battery |
| Serviceability | How easy it is to fix and how willing the organization is to repair the product | Same-day repairs, large network of locations |
| Reputation | Perceived image in the marketplace | High scores on global quality ratings |
| Aesthetics | The appearance of the product, feel, smell, taste | Sleek modern design, large screen |
Process Quality
Process quality, on the other hand, focuses on the manufacturing or service delivery processes involved in producing the product or service. It involves ensuring that the processes are efficient, consistent, and capable of meeting the design specifications. Factors such as process control, quality control measures, and continuous improvement efforts contribute to achieving high process quality.
Process quality refers to the ability of the organization to produce the good or service having perfect quality at each stage of the process, or in other words, manufacturing defect-free products.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Raw Materials | Quality level of purchased inputs |
| Equipment | Capability, well maintained, flexibility |
| Employees | Experience, training, ability level |
| Technology | Matches the application |
Measurement of service quality is more challenging. Each customer has a certain performance level in mind from which to compare or evaluate a service. Below are some of the commonly accepted elements by which customers evaluate service performance.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Tangibles | Any physical products used during the service |
| Reliability | Capability, well maintained, flexibility |
| Convenience | Experience, training, ability level |
| Responsiveness | Matches the application |
| Time | How quickly the service is delivered |
| Courtesy | The politeness and friendliness of employees |
| Consistency | Repeated consistent performance without fail |
| Assurance | Employees have a high level of expertise and trust |
“5 Managing Quality” from Introduction to Operations Management Copyright © by Hamid Faramarzi and Mary Drane is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: some paragraphs rewritten; added additional explanations; some paragraphs removed.
“Quality: Various Definitions and Importance” from Operations Management by Vikas Singla is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license.—Modifications: used sections 20.2 Introduction, rewritten.
