It's my take on Quality... Only personal views... No intention to disgrace any function... All functions are important...

1. My take on Quality
Understanding Quality is very easy. It is what you need / expect from a product or service
during its lifespan. Product & Services have to deliver what is needed or expected during
product/service life. There is no if & buts. There are only satisfied customers & unsatisfied
customers. There is no term applicable like “partially satisfied” in Quality.
Quality is relative and depends on Customer’s exposure. Some customers are highly
demanding and knowing exactly what do they want. Some are not having any idea and
exposure what should they ask for. But this does not mean that companies take undue
advantage of it.

2. “Acceptance Levels” is a myth. Customer has choice to shift to better product / service
available without notifying. Company fools itself by this term. Long-term acceptance is only
possible when you give perfect product / service.
“Guarantee / Warrantee / Free Replacement” are also a cover for not delivering perfect
products / services. Calling back products for replacing the defective parts is a well thought
Public Relation activity.
People are misleading customers by “Brand” name as synonym to Quality. Brand is nothing
to do with Quality. It is outcome of Public Relation and Marketing. Psychology of customer
plays crucial role in it.

3. What does Quality do? It guarantees that customer will get product / service as per demand
and need. If customer gets bad / good quality product or service, responsibility lies on all the
people / process / equipment / technology / vendors / suppliers etc. of the company.
Companies are getting less or more orders because of Quality. It is the blood in Company’s
body. Business of company highly depends on it. Good Quality speaks for itself. If you don’t
advertise but give quality product / services, people will come to you by searching.

4. Technology, equipment, process are not constraint to achieve Quality, constraints are in our
mindset. We are not giving due importance to Quality. Still people are searching for
handmade items. Basically what we do is concentrating on numbers not on attributes.
Quality Culture & Quality in Life are two important factors. Absence of it in any person
spoils the output & outcome both. Top most persons (Board of Directors) to the bottom line
persons must have them. Rework is not quality. You should not feel bad on throwing out
defective pieces instead of reusing them. If you are feeling worried for money lost is
throwing them out; you should pursue for better Quality by continual improvement in all
aspects of an organisation, just not only in manufacturing.

5. I have heard much about “Cost of Quality”. This term is often used to hide company’s
inability to deliver what is needed. Whatsoever cost incurred in putting features demanded
by customers must be spent. It’s a myth that cheaper products and services are not having
Quality and vice versa. Cost should be appropriate and scientific. Compromising Quality for
cost cutting is an act like Ostrich putting head in sand.
Organisations go for cost cutting and take decisions without considering effect on Quality. If
you want to measure impact of deteriorating Quality, see the balance sheet. Cheating / wrong
certification don’t last long.

6. Maintaining quality is not hard, and it has no cost. You just have to understand your
customers well. Involving them, sitting with them etc. are simple ways to improve. In my
opinion, any Marketing guy of any organisation must be trained in Designing & Quality
Management at-least for a year before he/she goes to Ground ZERO.

7. “In this competitive and ever changing world, it is for sure that there is
always a company or entrepreneur just approaching your home turf
and conquering your customers…”
.................. Anonymous
Note: No intention to disgrace other functions… All functions are equally important…
#quality #qualitysystem #qualityassurance #tqm #totalqualitymanagement
#customersatisfaction #customerdemand #customerrequirement #costofquality
#acceptancelevel #brand #brandequity #collectiveresponsibility #qualityculture #myths
#zerodefect