Product quality is defined as the collection of features and characteristics of a product that contributes to its ability to meet given requirements.
It is however not only the physical attributes of a product which make up its quality, there are many components which can determine a products level of quality. These can range from the function-ability of the product to the customer service and general consumer experience while purchasing the product.
In this report I will be focusing on Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Product Specifications and why they are all so important in terms of product quality. I will also look at an instance of product quality failure, in this particular example Lululemon had to recall certain products because they had failed to adequately test the quality of those products. I will identify exactly what happened, why it happened and what was done to rectify the situation.
2.0 Background Information
2.1 Quality Control is defined as the process of setting standards and testing to make sure something, like a product or service, is done correctly.
2.2 Quality Assurance is defined as the maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product, especially by means of attention to every stage of the delivery or production process.
2.3 Product Specification is a document that provides critical defining information about a product. They can include: Coding information, Labelling and Packaging Instructions, Component Materials,
To develop the innovative and high-quality products required by their customers, Patagonia succeeded in a third strategic area, specifically quality control. Despite being a huge cost for Patagonia, quality control was necessary to enable them to deliver on the two aforementioned strategic goals. To obtain a high level of quality, Patagonia developed long term relationships with reliable vendors for production of goods and procurement of materials, which resulted in a drastically lower defect rate than competitors
Given the highly competitive nature of today’s markets we as a company must provide high quality products to survive. Quality itself has become a major competitive factor and in many ways is a contributing factor in success or failure. The intent of this memo is to identify, explain and evaluate the three types of cost associated with quality.
Today’s consumers are constantly trying to judge the quality of products. But what is quality? How and by whom is quality determined? Some would say the designer creates specifications, which in turn dictate the quality of a product. That quality is also based on the acceptable value of a part within a whole product.
The quality standards for an organisation set down the ‘rules’ around the products and services the business provides, the suppliers and services they use, how staff are recruited and trained and how customer service is dealt with.
According to the International Organisation for Standardisation “Quality assurance is a set of activities intended to establish confidence that quality requirements will be met” (Praxiom, 2011)
Consumers are guaranteed to receive products and services that do not provide any harm to them. For products, the quality of products has to be acceptable, fit for the purposes, match with the sample, description and demonstration. More importantly, the products and services have to be matched and fit as what the staff said.
Quality Control or (QC) for short, is a set of strictly enforced procedures that have been designed to ensure that a product meets the qualtiy requirements of a client on a ongoing basis. Therefore, to ensure that you provide your clients with consitentcy as far as qualiity goes, as the potential manufacters about the specifics surrodung the procedures they implement to enure qualitiy
As employees of an organization we are required to ensure the welfare of the same at all times. Sometimes we see and analyze certain processes carried out and it is understood that there is any way in which these processes can be improved. It happens that we are not prepared to report that such changes are needed for reasons that are varied. There are positions in companies that are responsible for ensuring that all processes, products and services offered comply fully with the expectations of customers. The so-called "quality controls" are the order of the day in different industries thus minimizing the losses that come when we could make a claim for defective product or service. The following provides an example of
Quality assurance is any orderly procedure of checking to see if a product or service being developed is to a high standard and meets specific requirements in developing products and services. Various companies have a different department which is truly dedicated to quality assurance. A quality assurance system is said to give customers confidence within the company and their company's reliability, to expand work processes and their efficiency, and to enable a company to better compete with others. Quality assurance was initially introduced in World War II when weapons were reviewed, examined and tested for defects after they were made. Today's quality assurance systems emphasise catching defects before they get into the final
Producing a quality product, whether a tangible item or a service, is the goal of all organizations, how this goal is achieved will be the challenge. Quality of the end product has been an obstacle in America for decades. In the post World War II era as production of products in America rose, the quality of those products diminished. At the same time other countries such as Japan were not experiencing the same quality issues.
There are four areas within the Quality Management Cycle necessary to achieve desired results. Quality assurance (QA) encompasses operational and strategic planning including self-evaluation and pre-assessment. This process ensures that standards and regulation are met through the development of methods that will help to ensure compliance. This process will require the establishment and communication of standards and identifying the necessary metrics which will allow the monitoring of performance as well as standards compliance. Quality improvement (QI), is the part of the process that helps to identify areas in which opportunities for improvement can be made. Gaps are then prioritized and analyzed in order to develop a course of action that can address said shortfall. Monitoring/quality
Chapter 9 – Management of Quality: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Define the term quality as it relates to products and as it relates to services. Explain why quality is important and the consequences of poor quality. Identify the determinants of quality. Distinguish the costs associated with quality. Compare the quality awards. Discuss the philosophies of quality gurus. Describe TQM. Give an overview of process improvement. Describe and use various quality tools.
Considering the vast opportunities in today's emerging global markets, we have to be committed in meeting quality standards. The rise of global trade means there are no more "protected" domestic markets. Every business faces high-quality competitors from industrialized countries and low-cost competitors from developing countries. The increased competition has created more sophisticated and demanding customers. Good quality at a good price no longer sells. Value today means great quality at a low price.
Juran’s definition of quality focuses 100% of the customer’s satisfaction of the product. He stresses a balance between product features and products free from deficiencies and believes a quality product is free from deficiencies (Suarez, 1992, p.4). In order to achieve this