What is Quality

Definition of quality?

  • Generic:

      • The ability of the product and or service to meet a stated need

  • ISO 900:

      • The totality of Features and Characteristics of an entity (product or service) that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs

  • PMI:

      • The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements


Who defines quality and service?

What is an acceptable level of quality for your organization? it is ultimately a question for your stakeholders. This can be defined as anyone who has an interest in the success of what your organization does. Customers will be at the top for the majority of businesses; this is followed by owners, investors, employees, and suppliers.


Why should an organization care about quality?

Managing quality effectively can help your organization's reputation and brand, increase its efficiency and manage risk while ensuring customer and employee satisfaction.

Quality is not just a box that needs to be checked or something an organization pays lip service to. Failures resulting from this can have dire consequences for organizations, individuals and society.

Quality applies to everything; every product, service, task, action or decision within an organization can be measured in terms of quality.

  • How good is our product/service, is it good enough, how can we make it better?

Who is responsible for quality?

Everyone from the CEP to the labour on the shop floor is responsible for the quality of what they do.

What is Quality Assurance (QA)?

Quality assurance focuses on the entire organization and all of the planned or systematic actions necessary for the product and or service. It includes all activities designed to produce products and services of appropriate quality.


What is Quality Control (QC)?

Quality control has a narrower focus than quality assurance, as it focuses on producing the product and or service to eliminate problems or defects. Quality control is more the operational techniques, activities and inspections used to fulfill the stakeholder's quality requirements.


Quality management is about making organizations perform for their stakeholders. From improving products, services, systems and processes, ensure that the entire organization is efficient and effective.