Understanding Quality and Productivity Concepts

Item 1: Quality and Productivity

1.1 Concept of Quality

Quality Definitions

• Quality means doing things right the first time.
• To obtain products that meet a particular specification.
• Customer satisfaction.

According to Joseph M. Juran, quality is fitness for use. Philip B. Crosby defines quality as adherence to clearly established requirements, necessitating the company to gather customer specifications.

The Japanese expert Genichi Taguchi defines quality based on the minimum loss a product causes to society after being sent to its destination. The author introduces the economic term, contrary to the belief of some predecessors that quality was expensive.

For Feigenbaum, Deming, and Juran, quality is a set of effective efforts by different groups or the national organization to integrate the development, maintenance, and improvement of product quality, enabling the manufacture and service of complete consumer satisfaction at an economic level.

1.2 Evolution of the Concept of Quality in the Company

1. Quality Control (Product and Process Quality)
2. Quality Assurance
3. Quality Management
4. Total Quality Management (TQM)

1. Quality Control

This consists of a series of operational actions to eliminate non-conformities that may appear over a given process. Inspection aims to determine whether requirements are compliant or not at that stage of the process.

2. Quality Assurance

Quality is considered something for which all departments are responsible. To ensure quality, standards are set. This involves a series of planned actions to provide the necessary control operations to achieve the required quality, establishing internal and external audits.

Quality System

This is the organizational structure, procedures, processes, and resources needed to implement quality management.

3. Quality Management

This addresses determining the quality policy, objectives, and responsibilities. It is implemented through methods such as quality planning and quality control, with responsibility for quality management extending up to senior management.

4. Total Quality Management

This is a management strategy aimed at achieving balanced satisfaction for customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large in its broadest sense.