The Concept of Quality

The Concept of Quality

Defining quality

We have all probably felt that sense of disappointment when something we have purchased does not live up to expectations.  It could be a CD that is scratched and does not play properly, a new car with a number of rattles or the customer service department who don’t return your call. At the heart of meeting such expectations is the notion of quality.  This paper, although brief, tries to bring together perceptions of quality to provide an overall understanding of various dimensions that comprise a quality framework.  The paper then looks at the implications and importance of developing a quality framework for providing a strategic direction for a business. 

The word ‘revolution’ conjures up a range of images.  Over the last 20 years there has undoubtedly been a revolution of various sorts in information and communication technologies but, as organisations today compete so much on the basis of quality and when we hear people talk about the knowledge based economy, it would seem that now that we are embroiled in a ‘quality revolution’ (Ho, 1994). 

The starting point is to try and define quality which is very difficult as quality is not just an abstract term it is also a qualitatively-based word.  Experts in quality may define it in a number of different ways.   For example, they may refer to:

• Fitness for purpose or use
• The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs (BS EN ISO 9000: 2000)
• Getting something right the first time
• Meeting the needs of the customer
• Exceeding requirements or expectations
• Conformance to standards or requirements
• A process in which products are assessed, ensured and confirmed
• The total composite product and service characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacture and maintenance through which the product and service in use will meet the expectation by the customer (Day, 1994).

These definitions are almost endless.  The argument is that people’s perceptions of quality and what exactly it is will depend upon their preferences and interpretations (Basu, 2004).  Based upon research, theorists have developed a number of different models that help us to understand more lucidly what elements comprise a quality framework. 

Wild (2002) defines quality as:

“The quality of a product or service is the degree to which it satisfies customer requirements.  It is influenced by

Design quality:              the degree to which the specification of the product/service satisfies customer’s requirements.

Process quality:            the degree to which the product or service, which is made available to the customer, conforms to specification.”

Fig 2    Gravin’s product quality dimensions

Gravin (1984) provides eight quality dimensions that he feels make up quality (see Fig 2).  These are:

·                Performance          this refers to how efficient a product is in achieving its intended purpose.

·                Features                these are elements that supplement a product’s basic performance, such as cruise control on a car.

·                Reliability               this refers to how a product performs consistently over its life-cycle. 

·                Conformance         this means that a product must meet or conform with the specifications for its use.

·                Durability                the degree to which a products stands stress without failure.

·                Serviceability         the ease to which a product can be repaired.

·                Aesthetics              the sensory characteristics of a product such as how it looks or how it sounds.

·                Perceived quality   this is based upon customer perceptions and opinions.

When we think of the word ‘quality’, we have to ask or direct our interpretation of the word to a particular product or part of an organisation.  In fact, there are a number of different dimensions of quality.  For example,

TASK

Working within groups, identify a product with which you are all familiar.  Work through Gravin’s eight quality dimensions in order to build up a picture of the quality issues surrounding this product.  Consider:

a)    how the quality issues might influences how the organisation competes

b)    the extent to which these issues influences how that organisation compete and positions itself within the marketplace..

Another interpretation of a quality framework was developed by Parsuraman (1985) and this focused upon measures of service quality.  These include:

·                Tangibles               the physical appearance of the service facility and people.

·                Service reliability   the ability of the service provider to consistently perform in a dependable way. (i.e. time after time, not just once)

·                Responsiveness   the willingness of the service provider to be prompt in delivering the service.

·                Assurance             the ability of the provider of the service to inspire trust and confidence.

·                Empathy                the ability of the service provider to demonstrate care and individual attention to the customer.

·                Availability              the ability to provide service at the right time and place. 

·                Professionalism     encompasses the impartial and ethical characteristics of the service provider.

·                Timeliness             being able to deliver the service in a timely way.

·                Completeness       the order for the service is fully met.

·                Pleasantness         the service provider is polite and has been good mannered.

TASK

Go through each of these service quality characteristics and cross-reference them with a service with which you were recently provided.  To what extent do such characteristics influence the services you choose?

Case Study – UK consumers fed up with poor quality service

UK consumers are exasperated by poor standards of service, according to a new survey commissioned for the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA, 2006).  Brand loyalty and limited choice are not for today’s UK consumer.  Instead, according to IQA, more than two thirds of consumers head elsewhere where they are presented with poor quality service.

UK consumers’ used to have a reputation as being mild-mannered people who formed queues.  Many now admit that they have different expectations and become emotional or angry when treated badly by organisations.  However, more than half of the consumers surveyed by IQA said that they felt that quality of service is as important as the quality of goods.  The right product is just not enough on its own.  It has to be matched with good customer service. 

It's not all bad news, however, as half the consumers surveyed felt the quality of goods had improved over the last ten years. Though as 72 per cent rated quality of service equally as important as quality of goods, the right product is not enough on its own - it must be matched by excellent customer service.

The evolution of quality

Quality has been a dominant theme in management thinking over the past 50 years (Beckford, 1998).  Although initially much of the thinking about quality came from American theorists, it was the Japanese who seemed to be interested in the notion and applied it to good advantage within their industries.  As the notion of quality has evolved, it has presented a variety of problems.  For example, there has always been a problem in trying to understand what is meant by quality.  Secondly the Taylor (1911) approach to quality management based upon the four key principles of scientific task design, scientific selection, management-worker co-operation and equal division of work, seemed to assume that workers were interchangeable machine parts and, just like any other design, could be used at the discretion of management. 

As principles of quality developed, is was understood to be part of a hierarchical  process which saw inspection develop through to quality control, within the context of systems of quality assurance under the wider management approach of total quality management (TQM).

Inspection

ê

Quality control

ê

Quality assurance

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Total quality management (TQM)

Fig 3 The hierarchy of quality

Quality through inspection involves using or deploying people to inspect in order to achieve a basic level of quality.  However, this is an expensive way of monitoring quality and adds to the cost of products or services being provided.  Inspection processes do however, ensure that standards are met.  Through inspection it is possible to identify areas that do not conform to standards and take corrective action.

Quality control is a stage above inspection.  This is a process that uses quality planning and procedures as well as basic statistics and performance data.  Quality control involves monitoring the performance of processes and then using statistical techniques such as sampling and control charts to make decisions.

Next comes quality assurance.  This involves developing quality systems and quality planning to ensure that a process or product will fulfil quality requirements.  Quality assurance is aimed at developing procedures that avoid mistakes. 

The notion of a ‘total’ approach to quality and, in particular, total quality control, was at the heart of Armand Feigenbaum’s book in 1951.  Total quality management (TQM) is defined in ISO 8402 as the:

            “Management approach of an organisation, centred on quality,  based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and society.”

In this sense TQM is holistic.  It is because it assumes that quality is the responsibility of everybody within an organisation and not just managers.  TQM involves employee involvement and teamwork in order to develop a system that meets the needs of product quality, process quality and organisational quality.  With TQM everybody within an organisation works towards and strives for customer satisfaction.

References

Basu, R. (2004) Implementing Quality, London: Thomson

Beckford, J. (1998) Quality, London: Routledge

Day, A. and Peters, J. (1994) Rediscovering Standards: Static and Dynamic Quality, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol 6 No’s ½ pp81-84

Feigenbaum, A. V. (1951) Quality Control: Principles, Practice, and Administration, New York: McGraw-Hill

Gravin, D. (1984) What Does Product Quality Really Mean, Sloan Management Review 25(2)

Ho, S. K. M. (1994) and Fung C. K. H. (1994) Developing a TQM Excellence Model, The TQM Magazine, Vol 6 No 6 pp24-30

IQA (2006) Is Store Rage the New Road Rage, Institute of Quality Assurance

Parasuraman, A., Zeithamel, V. and Berry, L. (1985) A Conceptual Model of Service Quality, Journal of Marketing 49 (Fall): 41-50

Taylor, F. (1911) The Principles of Scientific Management, Norwood NJ: Plimpton Press

Wild, R. (2002) Operations Management, London: Continuum