CHAPTER 6

QUALITY ISSUES

PRODUCT QUALITY AND DIMENSIONS:

If a product fulfills the customer’s expectations, the customer will be pleased and consider that
the product is of acceptable or even high quality. If his or her expectations are not fulfilled, the
customer will consider that the product is of low quality. This means that the quality of a product
may be defined as “its ability to fulfill the customer’s needs and expectations”. Quality needs to
be defined firstly in terms of parameters or characteristics, which vary from product to product.
For example, for a mechanical or electronic product these are performance, reliability, safety and
appearance. For pharmaceutical products, parameters such as physical and chemical
characteristics, medicinal effect, toxicity, taste and shelf life may be important. For a food
product they will include taste, nutritional properties, texture, and shelf life and so on.

DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY:
The most fundamental definition of a quality product is one that meets the expectations of the
customer. However, even this definition is too high level to be considered adequate.
In order to develop a more complete definition of quality, we must consider some of the key
dimensions of a quality product or service.

 Dimension 1: Performance:

Does the product or service do what it is supposed to do, within its defined tolerances?
Performance is often a source of contention between customers and suppliers, particularly
when deliverables are not adequately defined within specifications. The performance of a
product often influences profitability or reputation of the end-user. As such, many
contracts or specifications include damages related to inadequate performance.

 Dimension 2: Features:

Does the product or services possess all of the features specified, or required for its
intended purpose? While this dimension may seem obvious, performance specifications
rarely define the features required in a product. Thus, it’s important that suppliers
designing product or services from performance specifications are familiar with its
intended uses, and maintain close relationships with the end-users.

 Dimension 3: Reliability:

Will the product consistently perform within specifications? Reliability may be closely
related to performance. For instance, a product specification may define parameters for
up-time, or acceptable failure rates. Reliability is a major contributor to brand or
 company image, and is considered a fundamental dimension of quality by most end-
users.

 Dimension 4: Conformance:

Does the product or service conform to the specification? If it’s developed based on a
performance specification, does it perform as specified? If it’s developed based on a
design specification, does it possess all of the features defined?

 Dimension 5: Durability:

How long will the product perform or last, and under what conditions? Durability is
closely related to warranty. Requirements for product durability are often included within
procurement contracts and specifications. For instance, fighter aircraft procured to
operate from aircraft carriers include design criteria intended to improve their durability
in the demanding naval environment.

 Dimension 6: Serviceability:

Is the product relatively easy to maintain and repair? As end users become more focused
on Total Cost of Ownership than simple procurement costs, serviceability (as well as
reliability) is becoming an increasingly important dimension of quality and criteria for
product selection.

 Dimension 7: Aesthetics:

The way a product looks is important to end-users. The aesthetic properties of a product
contribute to a company’s or brand’s identity. Faults or defects in a product that diminish
its aesthetic properties, even those that do not reduce or alter other dimensions of quality,
are often causing for rejection.

 Dimension 8: Perception:

Perception is reality. The product or service may possess adequate or even superior
dimensions of quality, but still fall victim to negative customer or public perceptions. As
an example, a high quality product may get the reputation for being low quality based on
poor service by installation or field technicians. If the product is not installed or
maintained properly, and fails as a result, the failure is often associated with the product’s
quality rather than the quality of the service it receives.

INSPECTIONS:
The act of monitoring or observing, (usually involving sampling and related sampling plans), a
process, procedure, or service to insure compliance with the operational definition and to insure
that all customer requirements or internal prerequisites are meet.
Activities may include the collecting data using stratified sampling from the item being
inspected. Usually execute by the QA, (quality assurance), departments, but not always.
Typically employs the use of a control charts using collected data to evaluate the process using
statistical process control.
May also require gauge R&R to guarantee that results are consistent and reliable between the
measurement device and the person doing the inspection.
Quality Inspections can use discrete/attribute data or variable data in the measurements.

ADVANTAGES OF QUALITY INSPECTIONS:

1] LOWER COSTS:
Improvement in the designs of products and process to enable production at lower costs. Since
the cost is low, it is both beneficial to manufacturer and consumer. First, when the manufacturer
will produce goods and incur low cost, then he will sell to consumers also at comparatively low
cost. So, at the end of the day, both the parties enjoy the benefit.

2] UNIFORMITY:
Improvement in the quality level and uniformity of the finished goods and incoming materials. If
there is uniformity in the finished goods, it would be advantageous to both manufacturers and
consumers. And from the point of view from the firm, it’s obligatory to maintain standard or
homogeneity in their product, so as to show consistency.

3] RELATIONSHIP:
When there is uniformity in the finished goods and also high quality level, then the bond
between the manufacturer and consumers has to be strengthened. In this scenario, both the
parties enjoy the benefits they receive, and so the relationship improves between firm and their
loyal customers.

4] ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY:
Improvement in technical knowledge and engineering data and manufacturing design. When all
the above points go in right path, then we see enhancement in technology. And when the
technology improves, it will again promote the firm first and later to the consumers. So, this
point is again common to both in terms of advantage.

5] REDUCTION:
If the quality is improved with the enhanced technology, and if we see reduction in rejections,
scrap, re-work, and inspection costs, it wouldn’t be surprising. Once the firm sets it standard and
work on it efficiently, then there could be reduction in re-doing the work again and other costs.

6] EFFECTIVE COMPETITION:
Sales promotion and ability to face market competition effectively is another advantage to the
manufacturer. If all the firm produces quality goods, then they can compete effectively. That
competition will not only be beneficial to manufacturers alone, but the consumers will be a part
of it. Because at the end of the day, their competition is for the consumers only.
7] PROMOTION:
Export promotion is possible through systematic quality control as consumers, particularly from
the developed and rich countries prefer quality goods. So the firm would be getting extra profit
because they can sell or they can export at a rate higher than they sell in domestic market. So,
they are expanding their business and as well as they are making a good profit margin from
foreigners.

STATISTICAL QUALITY CONTROL:

Statistical quality control (SQC) involves using statistical techniques to measure and analyze the
variation in processes.  Most often used for manufacturing processes, the intent of SQC is to
monitor product quality and maintain processes to fixed targets.  Statistical quality control refers
to using statistical techniques for measuring and improving the quality of processes and includes
SQC in addition to other techniques, such as sampling plans, experimental design, variation
reduction, process capability analysis, and process improvement plans.
SQC is used to monitor the consistency of processes used to manufacture a product as designed. 
It aims to get and keep processes under control.  No matter how good or bad the design, SQC can
ensure that the product is being manufactured as designed and intended.  Thus, SQC will not
improve a poorly designed product's reliability, but can be used to maintain the consistency of
how the product is made and, therefore, of the manufactured product itself and its as-designed
reliability.
A primary tool used for SQC is the control chart, a graphical representation of certain descriptive
statistics for specific quantitative measurements of the manufacturing process.  These descriptive
statistics are displayed in the control chart in comparison to their "in-control" sampling
distributions.  The comparison detects any unusual variation in the manufacturing process, which
could indicate a problem with the process.  Several different descriptive statistics can be used in
control charts and there are several different types of control charts that can test for different
causes, such as how quickly major vs. minor shifts in process means are detected.  Control charts
are also used with product measurements to analyze process capability and for continuous
process improvement efforts.