Steve Prevette said:
True, there is no "Clear" or "True" definitions for quality. As you consider this question though, what does quality mean to you personally in your purchasing decisions? And can that be extended to a business definition?
From a business prospective, quality has to be institutionlized in every segment of the business process. From inputs (suppliers, raw materials, component parts, etc.) through the transformation process (producing the product, assembling the components parts to make the whole) to the output (final product). Additionally, all the supporting functions that go into taking the product from raw material to distribution (marketing, engineering, sales, etc.) have to ensure the quality of their forecasts, designs, distribution channels, and projections, etc. The final measure of quality is did the product meet and/or exceed the customers' expectations. I believe that if Dr. Demings system (14 points) is applied for each part/function of the system (an organization is a system with component parts or functions), then the organization can achieve a high level of quality in addition to continual improvement and growth. The true measure will be if the P is maximized in this equation: R - C = $P. This is afterall the bottom line.