Ask someone their opinion on, what is quality? And, the answer you likely get is varied, as opinions are subjective to the many people in the world, by that place, time, or situation.
This is a sobering notion, as we are dependent on so many quality things in the world for their reliability, and yet give little attention on how to get better quality? Reliable car brakes are critical to stopping us in an emergency so that lives can be saved. There are many other items in cars that of vital importance - the engine, airbags, seat belts, tires; each must be measured and tested to the highest quality standards to make the car have greater reliability.
We should also keep in mind, the slightest 'variation' in any quality value can make the difference between your opinion and mine, good or bad; good and excellent; passing or failing; for something to work or not work; allows someone to live longer with a great healthcare system, or die sooner if this system is of poor quality - all of which can be low or high costs to society. Delivery of the best, the highest quality, has great implications to satisfy or impact the world significantly.
History has some useful considerations in a bid to accelerate to higher quality:
Pharaohs of ancient Egypt reigned from 3100 B.C. to 30 B.C.
- Left behind great architectural wonders called pyramids, and other masterpieces of antiquity, yet many things deemed of quality value were treasured and promoted mainly for the Pharaoh's afterlife. Quality values during this period were limited by this place, time, and situation.
- Quality is not an act, it is a habit.
- The rapid advancement in the culture of art, architecture, politics, science, and literature all soared and matured - influenced by better quality.
In the quest for higher quality in the 21st-century, the world has adopted the meaning of quality in conformance to requirements, such as:
Steve Jobs, said: The result of long-term relationships is better and better quality and lower and lower costs.
- Quality is conformance to a required standard.
- Quality is the degree to which requirements and standards are met.
- Quality is the value that is the fitness of purpose.
- Quality is free from deficiencies, defects, and errors.
- Quality is zero tolerance - the aim of a zero-accept-number.
- Quality is features that meet or exceed the customer's satisfaction needs.
- Quality is exceeding Quality Control requirements for a given situation.
- Quality is being in-specification to a proven blueprint, policy, standard operating procedure, code, law, or regulation.
- Quality is on-time delivery.
- Quality is the predictability and reliability of a product or service.
- Quality is a degree of flawlessness and excellence.
- Quality is the ability to arrive at a world-class or best-in-class performance
Quality Digest, says:
- Quality is the ongoing process of building and sustaining relationships by assessing, anticipating, and fulfilling stated and implied needs.
- Quality: A subjective term for which each person or sector has its own definition. In technical usage, quality can have two meanings: 1) the characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs; 2) a product or service free of deficiencies.
Quality comes at a cost - an expense for which we must (all) pay economically when were are not in sync. Here is an example:
"Service quality" suffers when the team is not in sync.
"The winner" takes the grand prize - sometimes measured in milliseconds.We should pay full attention: Whether we are the police, lawyer, doctor, teacher, politician, or construction, we are (all) in the same business, that of changing livelihoods and saving lives. Quality within these disciplines, however, has a distinct meaning in different business sectors of society.
In the Healthcare sector:
- Quality is meeting or exceeding customer (patient) requirements every time. This need should be anticipated to avoid error, pain, suffering, and early death. For example, the first few seconds at birth are critical to preserving life. Corrective procedures to stop a person from bleeding to death, or stopping a virus can potentially save many lives. Healthcare is always expected to be of great quality.
- We are dependent on well-maintained quality roads that allow getting people safely to their destinations on time. Emergency services, such as ambulance, fire, and police services all require good quality roads for vehicles to operate quickly; where, every second should count to reduce pain, suffering, and to save lives. Bumpy potholed roads, just will not do, to transport an expecting mother or a person with spinal injury.
- Conformance versus non-conformance to specification could well be how long a part or device might last; its reliability, safety, and suitability for use. A product free from defects minimizes failure which otherwise might be catastrophic in nature. Costs can quickly eat up your profits; poor quality creates excessive costs. For example, in 2010, the manufacturer Toyota recalled 9 million vehicles worldwide alleged to have driver's side out-of-place floor mat intrusion and unintended acceleration at an estimated cost to Toyota - a whopping $2 billion dollars, while profits for the previous year 2009, was $2.2 billion dollars. Quality is dependability.
- We should take full notice! Toyota already has a stringent Quality Control Program. When your priority changes to be the #1 auto manufacturer in the world - along the way, some quality values might get trampled on. Quality must be assured - hence the term Quality Assurance.
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| Quality is of intrinsic value. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Are all links of equal quality value in strength? |
The importance of Quality in the Construction sector:
- Quality in construction is related to conformance to the specification in a building contract, completing the project on time and on a budget to blueprint, policies, laws, and regulations; avoiding disputes claims, and ensuring that facilities perform to their intended purpose. Fall outside of a building code, as an example and, structures might not meet as intended strength to withstand catastrophic earthquakes or hurricanes.
- This is the degree by which people are enriched within institutions and programs through research, teaching, and learning so that they become economically productive to enhance their well-being and others. If you think education is a big cost; try the huge cost of poor quality education. A doctor, the police, or any person in a leadership position, improperly trained, put many lives at risk. Quality is gaining and maintaining current qualifications.
American Society for Quality says the lack of Quality (poor quality) has great implications in cost to business, organizations, and human life:
- "Quality is really about avoiding poor quality, limiting defects, deficiencies, rework, repairs, frustrations, customer complaints, late deliveries, unkept promises, low morale at work, and wasted time, energy, and money. This is a great cost to any system." Quality Control teaches us how to restrict the effects and occurrences of these things. Quality Assurance limits occurrences. Quality management systematizes the affairs of a business and turns negatives into positives to make continuous improvements for the betterment of human lives.
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| Zero in on Total Quality! |
Dr. W. Edwards Deming said: "Quality improvements... Reduce costs... Increase productivity... Reduce prices... Win markets... Jobs and more jobs... Stay in business... Improve (ROI) Return on Investments."
Keep poor quality costs to a minimum by accelerating the science of Total Quality to improve all business sectors simultaneously and continuously to 21st century standards.
Spead successes,
© It's time... Jamaica!
BRING QUALITY UP-TO-DATE | Change livelihoods - save lives.
Spead successes,
~ @ a 21st-Century Vision.
© It's time... Jamaica!
BRING QUALITY UP-TO-DATE | Change livelihoods - save lives.
