Quality of products

Quality of products
See also
Quality of service Model of business Non value added activity Product development processes Service dominant logic Marketing and business Product development management Business architecture Business process management

Quality of products is a measure of the overall value of a product to a customer, taking into account its features, performance, and other factors. Quality encompasses factors such as usability, reliability, durability, serviceability, and maintainability. Quality management is the process of monitoring the quality of a product and taking the necessary steps to ensure that it meets the required standards. Quality management includes setting quality objectives, analyzing customer requirements, creating and implementing quality standards, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product. Quality management helps organizations ensure that their products meet or exceed customer expectations, leading to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Example of quality of products

* For example, a laptop computer should meet certain quality standards in terms of speed, reliability, durability, performance, and usability. In this case, the quality is determined by the laptop's processor speed, RAM, storage capacity, and other hardware and software features. Quality assurance measures for a laptop might include testing the laptop for viruses and malware, ensuring that the laptop is compatible with the latest versions of software, and ensuring that the laptop will be able to sustain regular usage without breaking down. 

• Another example of quality of products is food. Quality assurance measures in the food industry include testing for food-borne illnesses, ensuring that the food is free of contaminants, and verifying that the food is fresh and safe to consume. Quality control measures may also include checking the production process for any hazards, such as cross-contamination, and ensuring that the food meets the relevant safety standards.
• A third example of quality of products is cars. Quality assurance measures in the automotive industry include checking the car for any manufacturing defects, verifying that the car meets safety and emissions requirements, testing the car's performance, and ensuring that the car is reliable and durable. Quality control measures may also include inspecting the car for any signs of wear and tear, and ensuring that the car meets all necessary maintenance and repair standards.

Formula of quality of products

The formula for quality of products can be expressed as:

Quality = (Functionality + Usability + Reliability + Durability + Serviceability + Maintainability) / 6

Functionality: This is the measure of the ability of a product to perform its intended purpose, such as its ability to perform specific tasks.

Usability: This is the measure of how easy it is for a user to interact with a product, such as how quickly they can understand how to use it.

Reliability: This is the measure of how consistently a product performs its intended functions.

Durability: This is the measure of how long a product will last under normal use.

Serviceability: This is the measure of how easy it is for a product to be serviced, such as how quickly a repair can be done or how easy it is to replace a part.

Maintainability: This is the measure of how easy it is to keep a product functioning properly, such as how often a product needs to be serviced and how easy it is to keep up with the necessary maintenance.

When to use quality of products

Quality of products should be considered when developing, delivering, and maintaining any product. Quality management ensures that products meet customer expectations and helps organizations remain competitive in the market. Quality of products is used in the following situations:

• Developing new products: Quality management is used to set quality objectives and create and implement quality standards for the development of new products.
• Delivering products: Quality management is used to monitor and inspect products to ensure that they meet customer requirements and quality standards.
• Maintaining products: Quality management helps organizations identify and address any issues with products that may arise over time, such as wear and tear, and ensures that products remain safe and reliable.

Steps of quality of products

Quality of products is an essential part of creating value for customers. To ensure that products meet customer expectations, it is important to have a well-defined quality management process. The following are the steps in a quality management process:

• Establish Quality Objectives: Quality objectives should be set to ensure that the product meets customer requirements. This includes setting clear expectations and standards for the product and its performance.
• Analyze Customer Requirements: Understanding customer requirements is essential for creating a quality product. This includes analyzing customer feedback, researching customer preferences, and understanding the needs of the target market.
• Create and Implement Quality Standards: Quality standards should be established to ensure that the product meets or exceeds customer expectations. Quality standards should be measurable and include processes for monitoring and improving the product.
• Monitor and Improve Quality: Quality should be monitored throughout the product development and production process. This includes testing the product for defects, conducting customer surveys, and collecting feedback from customers.
• Continuously Improve Quality: Quality improvement should be an ongoing process. This includes implementing new quality standards, analyzing customer feedback, and making changes to the product as needed.

Advantages of quality of products

Quality of products is an important factor in ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. Quality products provide several advantages, including:

• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty: Quality products help ensure customer satisfaction by meeting or exceeding their expectations. By providing customers with a product that is well-made and reliable, companies can build trust and loyalty with their customers.
• Improved reputation: Quality products help companies improve their reputation in the marketplace. Customers tend to recommend and refer quality products to others, which can help a company gain more customers.
• Reduced costs: Quality products are often more reliable and durable, reducing the need for repairs or replacements. This can help to reduce costs associated with providing customer service, as well as the cost of returns and refunds.
• Increased market share: Quality products can help companies to gain market share. Customers are more likely to purchase a product from a company if they have confidence in the quality of the product.
• Increased profitability: Quality products can help to increase profitability by increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as reducing costs. Customers are more likely to purchase additional products from a company they trust, leading to increased revenue.

Limitations of quality of products

Quality of products can be limited in several ways. The most common limitations include:

• Cost: Quality products may be more expensive than their lower-quality counterparts, making them prohibitively expensive for some customers.
• Availability: High-quality products may be limited in terms of availability, as they can be difficult to find or out of stock at times.
• Performance: Quality products may not always perform as expected in all environments, making them unreliable for some customers.
• Durability: Quality products may not always be as durable as expected, leading to premature breakdowns and costly repairs.
• Flexibility: Quality products may not be as flexible as desired, making them difficult to use in certain contexts.
• Support: Quality products may not come with adequate support, making them difficult to troubleshoot and maintain.

Other approaches related to quality of products

Quality of products is a measure of the overall value of a product to a customer, taking into account its features, performance, and other factors. Quality management encompasses a variety of approaches to ensure that products meet or exceed customer expectations. These approaches include:

• Total Quality Management (TQM): TQM is a business philosophy focused on continuous improvement of processes and products to ensure they meet customer requirements and exceed their expectations. It involves establishing a quality management system, setting quality objectives, analyzing customer requirements, creating and implementing quality standards, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product.
• Six Sigma: Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach to process improvement, which seeks to reduce defects and errors in a process. It involves establishing a quality management system, setting quality objectives, identifying and eliminating sources of process variation, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product.
• Lean Manufacturing: Lean manufacturing is an approach to production that emphasizes eliminating waste in the production process and optimizing the use of resources. It involves establishing a quality management system, setting quality objectives, identifying and eliminating sources of waste, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product.
• ISO 9000: The ISO 9000 family of standards is a set of international standards for quality management systems. It involves establishing a quality management system, setting quality objectives, creating and implementing quality standards, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product.

In summary, quality management encompasses a variety of approaches to ensure that products meet or exceed customer requirements and expectations. These approaches involve establishing a quality management system, setting quality objectives, analyzing customer requirements, creating and implementing quality standards, and continuously monitoring and improving the quality of the product.

Suggested literature

• Mugge, R., & Schoormans, J. P. (2012). Newer is better! The influence of a novel appearance on the perceived performance quality of products. Journal of Engineering Design, 23(6), 469-484.