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__NOTOC__The term quality is used to refer to the desirability of properties or characteristics of a person, object, or process. In the case of a person this is considered in a particular context, such as worker, student, sportsperson, etc. The term is often used in opposition to quantity. In science, the work of Aristotle focused on measuring quality; whereas, the work of Galileo resulted in a shift towards the study of quantity.
1 In manufacturing
In manufacturing, quality is the concept of making products fit for a purpose and with the fewest defects. Many different techniques and concepts have been tried to minimize defects in products, including Zero Defects , Six Sigma, and the House of Quality .
Most of these techniques and concepts are controversial to one degree or another, since there are two opposing schools of thought with regard to quality. One school subcribes to a statistical approach to quality, measuring defects and then taking corrective action. The other school subscribes to a more organic approach, arguing that one should "design in quality" rather than trying to "test in quality".
2 Historical development of the concept
The meaning for the term quality has developed over time. Four distinctive interpretations:
- "Conformance to specifications" (Phil Crosby in the 1980s). The difficulty with this is that the specifications may not be what the customer wants; Crosby treats this as a separate problem.
- "Fitness for use" ( Joseph M. Juran ). Fitness is defined by the customer.
- A two-dimensional model of quality (Noriaki Kano and others). The quality has two dimensions: "must-be quality" and "attractive quality". The former is near to the "fitness for use" and the latter is what the customer would love, but has not yet thought about. Supporters characterise this model more succinctly as: " Products and services that meet or exceed customers' expectations". One writer believes (without citation) that this is today the most used interpretation for the term quality.
- "Value to some person" (Gerald M. Weinberg)
3 In music
In music quality refers primarily to the timbreIn music, timbre is the quality of a musical note which distinguishes different types of musical instrument. See also: formant of speech, singing, and musical instruments. This is why, with a little practice, you can pick out the saxophone from the trumpe, but also dynamicsThe word dynamics can refer to: a branch of mechanics; see dynamics (mechanics) the volume of music; see dynamics (music) When used referring to mechanics, it is referring to the study of the motion of both rigid bodies and particles. The field of dynamic and musical texture, of a section or piece.
4 See also
- ISO 9000ISO 9000 specifies requirements for a Quality Management System overseeing the production of a product or service. It is not a standard for ensuring a product or service is of quality; rather, it attests to the process of production, and how it will be ma
- Quality Management SystemQuality Management Systems QMS are the outgrowth of work done by W. Edwards Deming, a statistician, after whom the Deming Prize for quality is named. One of their purposes is quality control in manufacturing. In manufacturing industries, statistical proce
- Quality timeQuality time is the time someone spends with the people they love and respect, especially with those towards whom they feel some sort of obligation. Activities pursued are never work-related but are expected by the people getting together to be productive
- Quality controlIn engineering and manufacturing, quality control or quality engineering is a set of measures taken to ensure that defective products or services are not produced, and that the design meets performance requirements. History Though terms like 'quality engi
- Six Sigma
- Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management or TQM is a management strategy to embed awareness of quality in all organizational processes. Quality assurance through statistical methods is a key component. TQM aims to do things right the first time, rather than need to fix p
- Metaphysics of Quality from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and by Robert M. Pirsig
- Open Source
