Definition Quality or Quality Assurance - The term "assurance" should not be used?

K

Kevin H

#21
If I think of the last 3 companies I worked for, each had a different name for the function addressing the quality system used to assure that customers received the product they ordered. Company 1 in 1992 to 1995 termed that function quality.
Company 2 in 1995 to 2001 termed that function quality systems, quality assurance was the group responsible for assessing whether product met specifications - our inspection group and our various testing labs (chemical, mechanical, electrical, etc.). Both quality sytems and quality assurance reported to the VP of quality.
Company 3 in 2001 to present terms the group responsible for testing product to assure it meets customer specification quality control (which reports to production), while the group responsible for the system is quality assurance.

I'm less hung up on names than I am on having an effective group addressing quality at the earliest phase possible - preferably design, and integrated throughtout the entire company.
 
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D

Daryl Montie

#22
The term "quality assurance" is absolutely fine... the more progressive term would be "quality", and when you really get it down you just call it "operations".
 

Stijloor

Staff member
Super Moderator
#24
Hello Fellow Covers,

Are we getting too wrapped up in "quality" semantics here?

It's not really important how you call it; if in the end the Customer gets what they need and expect, while the company realizes a profit, who cares what you call the system and/or processes to make it happen?

Stijloor.
 

Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#25
We old folks are just sitting here watching the evolution of quality assurance sector jargon (language).
 
#27
Hello Fellow Covers,

Are we getting too wrapped up in "quality" semantics here?

It's not really important how you call it; if in the end the Customer gets what they need and expect, while the company realizes a profit, who cares what you call the system and/or processes to make it happen?

Stijloor.
No - that's why the ISO committees have published a vocabulary! It might not be important to those 'in the know', but I can assure you there's a bunch of folks out there (consultants included) who glibly use terminology and have not one clue that they're confusing people with mis-information.

BTW - you don't have to make a profit! I have seen not-for-profit organizations who have implemented ISO 9001 and done so with an eye to customers and reducing waste - a lesson a lot can learn from. Profits make management fat, dumb and happy, when waste is what they should go after....:notme:
 

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#28
Hello Fellow Covers,

Are we getting too wrapped up in "quality" semantics here?

It's not really important how you call it; if in the end the Customer gets what they need and expect, while the company realizes a profit, who cares what you call the system and/or processes to make it happen?

Stijloor.
No - that's why the ISO committees have published a vocabulary! It might not be important to those 'in the know', but I can assure you there's a bunch of folks out there (consultants included) who glibly use terminology and have not one clue that they're confusing people with mis-information.
I have to agree with Stijloor on this one. I've always felt that the control/assurance thing was a distinction without a real difference. Why people are so afraid of the phrase "quality control," I'll never know. If we look as development of quality as a process, and we acknowledge that processes must be controlled, then what could be the problem with "quality control"? People need to stop worrying about containers, and start being concerned with what they contain.

BTW - you don't have to make a profit! I have seen not-for-profit organizations who have implemented ISO 9001 and done so with an eye to customers and reducing waste - a lesson a lot can learn from. Profits make management fat, dumb and happy, when waste is what they should go after....:notme:
You're making the same semantic mistake that you seem to be arguing against; in the case of many non-profit, or not-for-profit entities, the fact remains that revenues, no matter what the source, must be greater than or equal to expenditures. Whether you refer to that differential as "profit" or not is a matter of accounting terminology, and has nothing to do with the fact that even non-profit entities must generate "profit."
 
#30
As I said, Jim, for those 'in the know'.

My experience has been that terminology is very important. Its tough enough using language to convey understanding (as witnessed through these posts). People who post here use all kinds of vocabulary to describe their situations and often we find ourselves asking for clarification.

I guess you live in a different world. I, for one, have always tried to use the correct (not obscure) words to describe what I'm speaking about. specifically, in the world of calibration words are bandied about without clear understanding of concepts.
 
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