Cost of good quality

Cost of good quality
See also
Quality level Quality assurance Kaizen costing Activity-based management Total quality control Quality management system Shewhart cycle Operational controlling 10 kaizen principles

Costs of good quality refer to the expenses incurred by a company to ensure that its products or services meet or exceed customer expectations. These costs can be divided into two categories: prevention costs and appraisal costs. Prevention costs are expenses incurred to prevent defects or nonconformities from occurring in the first place, such as training, tooling, and process design. Appraisal costs are expenses incurred to identify and measure defects or nonconformities, such as inspection, testing, and audit. Both types of costs are necessary to maintain and improve product or service quality.

Example of Cost of good quality

Examples of prevention costs of good quality include:

• Training for employees on quality control techniques and procedures
• Designing and implementing quality management systems
• Investing in equipment and tools to improve the production process
• Conducting research and development to improve product design
• Developing and implementing a preventive maintenance program

Examples of appraisal costs of good quality include:

• Inspection of incoming raw materials and finished products
• Testing of products to ensure they meet specifications
• Auditing of the quality management system to ensure it is effective
• Calibrating equipment used in the production process
• Conducting customer satisfaction surveys to gather feedback on the product or service.

It's important to note that these are just examples and costs of good quality will vary depending on the industry, type of product or service, and size of the organization.

Advantages of Cost of good quality

Measuring the cost of good quality has several advantages, including:

• Identifying areas for improvement: By measuring the cost of good quality, a company can identify areas where it is incurring high costs and work to reduce them. This can lead to improvements in the production process and ultimately, lower costs.
• Improving customer satisfaction: By measuring and controlling the costs of good quality, a company can ensure that its products or services meet or exceed customer expectations, leading to increased customer satisfaction.
• Enhancing brand reputation: By consistently delivering high-quality products or services, a company can enhance its brand reputation and attract new customers.
• Increasing profitability: By reducing the costs of defects and nonconformities, a company can increase profitability by improving production efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing sales.
• Identifying the relationship between costs and quality: measuring the cost of good quality allows a company to understand the relationship between costs and quality, which can help in the budgeting, financial analysis, and decision-making processes
• Enhancing continuous improvement: By measuring the cost of good quality, a company can track progress over time and continuously improve its quality management system.

Limitations of Cost of good quality

There are several limitations of using cost of good quality analysis, including:

• Difficulty in determining the cost of quality: Determining the cost of good quality can be challenging, as it may be difficult to accurately measure the cost of prevention and appraisal activities.
• Lack of standardization: There is a lack of standardization in the way that costs of good quality are measured, which can make it difficult to compare the results of different companies or across different industries.
• Limited focus on quality: Cost of good quality analysis is focused on identifying and controlling the costs associated with quality, but it does not necessarily guarantee that the product or service is of good quality or that it meets customer needs.
• Can be hard to assign costs: It is not always easy to assign costs to specific quality-related activities, especially in an environment where multiple activities are taking place simultaneously.
• Limited scope: Cost of good quality analysis is typically limited to the cost of defects and nonconformities, and it may not take into account other important aspects of quality such as customer satisfaction and reliability.
• Short-term focus: Focusing on cost of good quality can sometimes lead to short-term thinking, where the goal is to minimize costs rather than improve quality in the long-term.

Other approaches related to Cost of good quality

In addition to cost of good quality analysis, there are other approaches that companies can use to manage and improve quality, such as:

• Total Quality Management (TQM): This approach focuses on involving all employees in the quality improvement process, from the CEO to the front-line worker. It emphasizes continuous improvement, customer focus, and the use of data and metrics to drive decision-making.
• Six Sigma: This approach uses statistical methods and data analysis to identify and eliminate defects in a process. It emphasizes the use of a structured methodology (DMAIC or DMEDI) to improve the quality of products and services.
• ISO 9001: This is an international standard for quality management systems. It provides a framework for a company to establish and maintain a quality management system that meets the needs of its customers and other stakeholders.
• Lean Six Sigma: This approach combines the principles of Lean manufacturing, which focuses on reducing waste and increasing efficiency, with the Six Sigma methodology. It's goal is to improve quality, reduce costs and improve overall performance.
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA): This approach is a systematic method to identify and evaluate the potential failure modes of a product or process and the effects of those failures on the customer. It's goal is to identify and mitigate potential failures before they happen.

All of these approaches can be used in conjunction with cost of good quality analysis to improve quality and reduce costs. It's important for a company to select the approach that best meets its needs and aligns with its culture and goals.

Suggested literature

• Freiesleben, J. (2004). On the limited value of cost of quality models. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 15(7), 959-969.
• Helburn, S. W., & Howes, C. (1996). Child care cost and quality. The future of children, 62-82.
• Ramudhin, A., Alzaman, C., & Bulgak, A. A. (2008). Incorporating the cost of quality in supply chain design. Journal of quality in maintenance engineering, 14(1), 71-86.