1) Quality concepts

• Quality

  • The ability of a product/ service to satisfy specific needs of consumers
  • Measured against specific criteria such as physical appearance/ reliability/ durability
• Quality control

  • System that ensures desired quality is met by inspecting final product to ensure it meets required standards.
  • Includes setting targets/ taking corrective measures
• Quality assurance

  • Checks carried out during and after production process.
  • Ensure required standards have been met at every stage of process.
• Quality management

  • Process of managing all activities needed to ensure business produces products/ services of consistently high standards.
  • Refer to techniques/ tools used to improve quality of product
• Quality performance

  • Total performance of each department is measured against specified standards
  • Quality measured through physical product/ surveys of the users/ consumers of products/ services
• Quality management systems

  • Quality management system is a framework that business uses to manage key organisational processes.
  • Formalised system that documents procedures/ responsibilities for achieving quality policies/ objectives.
• Difference between quality control and quality assurance

  Quality control

  1. system that ensures desired quality is met by inspecting final product.
  2. ensures finished products meet the required standards.
  3. includes setting targets/ measuring performance and taking corrective measures

  Quality assurance

  1. checks carried out during and after production process.
  2. ensures required standards have been met at every stage of process
  3. the 'building in' of quality as opposed to 'checking for' quality
• Difference between quality management and quality performance

  Quality management

  1. techniques/ methods used to design/ improve quality of a product
  2. used for accountability within each of the business functions
  3. aims to ensure that quality of products/ services are consistent. focuses on means to achieve consistency.

  Quality performance

  1. total performance of each department is measured against specified standards
  2. can be obtained if all departments work together towards same quality standards
  3. quality measured through physical product/ statistical out of processes/ consumers of products