Once you know what your customers want and how they judge quality, you can find the best way to measure the quality they care about. Use your customers’ needs to define measurable characteristics that lead to customer satisfaction.
You can measure the quality of inputs, processes, outputs, the final product or service, and the perception your customers have. The same three steps are useful everywhere:
- define the important characteristics and how to measure them
- set standards for those characteristics
- control your process to meet the standards.
Focus on those characteristics that relate to customer quality and cover the most important problems. Measurements can be useful both at a detailed level in your processes and at a higher level relating directly to the outcome for your customer.
Set standards that relate to quality thresholds that make a difference. Standards are inefficient if they are higher than necessary without contributing to quality as the customer experiences it.
Testing every product costs much more than testing samples — and if the testing is invasive, it might not be practical. Testing samples can be an effective and efficient way to catch problems.
The inputs, processes and outputs that are most important to your business need to be checked most thoroughly against your quality standards. Classifying your inventory by value can help you see where to focus.
Detect errors at the right time
If you have errors early in a process that aren’t caught until later, you waste the work between where the error happens and where you catch it. Bring testing as close as possible to the step where the error could occur. For example, a graphic design service might check the brief is right and check the concept is right before going further. If they only check the final result with the customer, all the work beyond the concept could be wasted.
Here are some useful times to check quality:
- before an expensive step in the process or a ‘point of no return’ (for example, checking ingredients before combining them and committing time and effort to cooking them)
- immediately after a known ‘fail point’ (for example, if you’ve recently had problems with delivery, you might check that customers are now receiving their orders correctly)
- immediately before passing your product on to your customer.
For example, if you are a cookie maker selling cookies to a retail store, you might notice that the retailer is rejecting some of the cookies you send. You could detect quality problems by studying why some of your cookies are being returned. You start checking every return when you receive it — the retailer’s return form includes the reason for the return. You classify the returns into two categories:
- controllable returns — for example, due to problems with manufacture or packaging
- uncontrollable returns — for example, due to a weather event disrupting shipping.
You work on eliminating the quality issues causing the controllable returns. Checking for known manufacturing problems before packaging, and checking for known packaging problems before shipping, saves cost and improves your quality reputation with your customer.
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort."
- John Ruskin
Low-quality products and services deter customers from making a purchase. As a result, it is essential for all businesses to develop and maintain quality standards and insights. Let's take a look at why quality is so important and how businesses can implement strategies to manage quality.
What is the importance of quality?
Quality is defined as constant conformity to the expectation of the customers in an organisation. Others define quality as excellence, absolute best, value, etc. When quality is defined in accordance with organisations, it is the organisation that has to survey and classify how quality is defined and perceived by their customers so that they can work towards meeting these expectations.
Nearly everyone would agree that the quality of a particular product/service is significant, however, not everyone has a similar impression of what forms high quality.
To certain people, the quality of a product is high if it’s lavish or long-lasting, while for others the ease of use is of more value.
Some of the tangibility measures are as follows:
Appearance: The look of the product is an important measure for fashion apparel.
Reliable: Machines will be of frequent use; therefore, reliability is required.
Durable: This is the long-lasting aspect of the product.
Functions: Smartphones are becoming more appealing with added functions and apps.
Maintenance requirements: A vehicle that needs fewer repairs and servicing can be viewed to be of good quality.
Some of the intangible measures include the following:
Brand image: Customers assess the quality of a product with the brand image of a company. Cadbury is considered a high-quality brand, although it has diversified away from its original products also.
Reputation: A company such as Apple, Inc. has developed a reputation for quality.
Importance of quality for a business
Meeting the expectations of the customers
Irrespective of the industry, customers will not choose a particular product merely based on the price, nonetheless often on quality. According to some studies, customers are willing to pay a higher price for a product or service if they consider it as a well-made product that surpasses the quality standards.
Gaining competitive advantage
Companies want to attain competitiveness with differentiation. This happens when there are distinctive qualities in a product that can not be imitated by rivals. A distinctive product can be patented in order to avoid other companies from replicating it for almost 20 years. This would mean that a company can sustain its competitive advantage for a long time.
Quality is crucial for the satisfaction of customers
If an organisation fails to meet the expectation of its customers, then it will look for replacements. Quality is essential to satisfy customers in order to retain their loyalty so that they will be willing to buy in the future as well. Quality products make a significant impact on revenues in the long run. Quality is what differentiates a company in a crammed market.
Apple can charge a higher price for its iPhone in comparison to its rivals in the industry. This is because it has developed a long history of delivering high-quality products.
Quality develops reputation
Quality signals on an organisation’s reputation. Nowadays, there is an increasing significance of social media which means that the customers can effortlessly share both positive and negative opinions on the quality of a product/service on different platforms. Therefore, a sound reputation for quality could be an essential factor that can differentiate an organisation in a market that is highly competitive.
Poor quality products/services can lead to negative publicity and can harm the reputation. If the organisation is constantly delivering what it has promised, then the customers will give positive and constructive views on social media. This will not only create awareness for the brand but will also make a wanted effect and they wouldn’t want to be missed out. The user on social networking sites who view an organisation’s strong reputation will desire to be part of the product/service being offered that will in turn increase sales.
Influence on sales volume
If a product matches the requirements of the customers, then the demand for that particular product will increase, hence allowing the company to boost its profit levels. As people become wealthier, their desire for good quality products also increases as they are not constricted by their income.
Quality helps in managing costs effectively
Poor quality products escalate costs. If an organisation does not have an efficient quality control system, they may have to bear costs to assess peculiar products in order to evaluate the main causes. They may have to get rid of faulty products and incur extra production costs for their replacement.
Greater productivity levels
When an organisation understands and follows the significance of quality in every aspect of its operations then there is an increase in the productivity of its employees. As they realize and comprehend that they are working on a product that is exceptional and high on quality.
Boosted brand value
Every brand wants a greater market share and a boosted brand value. It is through following and comprehending the significance of quality that will support an organisation make its brand value rise in comparison to its rivals in the industry
Reduced risk
The other facet that helps an organisation sustain its brand value is to diminish risks. Risks simply befall business operations when an organisation do not follow parameters of quality
Growth in revenues and profits
In current vigorous markets, there is ever-growing competition, it becomes challenging for an organisation to make anticipated revenues to meet their short and long-run goals. An organisation that follows quality management will have a greater level of satisfied customers, higher brand value, and market share.
What are the examples of Quality management?
Coca-Cola guarantees the finest quality product by applying widely approved and authentic manufacturing processes and systems. It measures the quality of its product as well as packaging to make sure that the products meet the requirements of the company and fulfil the consumers' expectations. Reliability and regularity are the two main components of the quality of products. These components are crucial in order to meet the organisation’s standards and regulatory prerequisites globally. The fact that Coca-Cola is a global product necessitates higher standards and processes to guarantee reliable products as well as quality from the initial production to the delivery of the product.
- The finalisation of the manufacturing plant site by Coca-Cola is only after the source water has been tested and verified for the requirement.
- The process of purifying sugar, carbon-dioxide preparation, sterilisation of bottles goes through quality control that ensures that the product meets the global standards and meets customers’ expectations.
What is the importance of quality control and quality assurance?
Quality control is necessary to develop a flourishing business that offers products that meet or surpass the expectations of customers. It also builds the foundation of an efficient organisation that lowers waste and functions at a higher level of productivity.
Quality assurance is a continuous effort to improve quality practices. It is a process-based practice and quality control on the other hand is a product-based process. Quality assurance is important because it ensures that the production process of a product aligns with the quality requirements and standards. The significance of quality assurance is that it ensures that the finished product fulfils the quality requirements.
What is the importance of quality standards?
Quality standards are developed to make sure that organisations fulfil the minimum requisites to become an essential part of any industry from food, automotive, clothes to healthcare.
In current times, the significance of quality has increased and organisations are trying to cope with it.
It helps to accomplish higher consistency in the offering of products and services
It lowers costly mistakes
It escalates efficiency through better utilization of time and resources
What is the importance of quality culture?
Organisations that promote the development of quality culture generally undergo low employee turnover and employee disappointment, and higher successful regulatory assessments. Working with such organisations encourage employees on the lower level to be more involved in enhancing the processes they work with each day, therefore, increasing interest and enthusiasm, loyalty, and also dedication to quality.
Importance of Quality - Key takeaways
Quality makes sure that a high-class product/service is being produced.
Quality is important for customer satisfaction that ultimately results in customer loyalty.
Quality management assists an organisation to create and developing a product/service which is desired by the customers.
Quality establishes that higher revenues and productivity is achieved for the organisation.
Quality assists an organisation to diminish waste, costs, and risks.
Quality helps to boost reputation, brand value and meet the industry standards.
Quality control is a product-based process and quality assurance is a process-based process.
The importance of quality culture is that it lowers employee turnover and motivates employees at a lower level to improve their daily work.
Quality standards help organisations fulfil the minimum requisites to become a part of any industry.