Quality means meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Quality ensures that a good or service is in high demand as it keeps makes consumer happy.
Why Is Quality important for a business?
- Gives competitive advantage
- Encourages return purchases
- Provides customers with information and builds consumer confidence in the brand
- Reduces costs incurred in solving past sales problem (Customer refunds etc..)
- Helps improve efficiency.
Methods of ensuring high quality
Quality Control
This process takes place after these products have been produced. Quality control is carried out by Quality control department which inspects and tests the finished products.
Advantages of Quality Control
- Faults are found before product is sold to customers
- It ensures good meets up with standard before getting to consumer which can help generate more revenue.
Disadvantages of Quality Control
- Hiring employee to check product costs money
- Quality Control does not explain how fault occurred and can happen again.
- Fixing defected products cost money.
Quality Assurance
It occurs both during and after the event, and is concerned with trying to stop faults from happening in the first place. The business will make sure quality standards are set and then it will apply these quality standards in the production process. Quality assurance is the responsibility of the workforce, working in cells or teams, rather than an inspector.
Advantages of Quality Assurance
- Fewer customer complaints
- Tries to eliminate faults or errors before the customer receives the product
- Fewer defected(low quality) products produced (Reduce cost because there will be less broken/low quality products to fix)
Disadvantages of Quality Assurance
- Expensive to train employees
- Relies on employees following instructions
Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a method by which management and employees can become involved in the continuous improvement of the production of goods and services. It is a combination of quality and management tools aimed at increasing business and reducing losses due to wasteful practices.
Advantages of TQM
- All employees are aware of the need for quality
- Less likely to receive customer complaints
- Waste (defected products) is removed and efficiency increases
Disadvantages of TQM
- Expensive to train employees for TQM
- Relies heavily on employees following this idea