What is quality and from whose viewpoint should it be evaluated?

The definition of quality is the summation of all the characteristics of a product or service that influence its ability to meet the stated or implied needs of the person acquiring it. 

 

Quality must be viewed from the perspective of the user rather than the provider and relates to both performance and value. This quality perspective arose because of increased competition, public interest in product safety, and litigation relative to products and product safety. The responsibility for quality is not simply a production issue; it has become a company profitability and longevity issue. 

 

The following News Note dramatizes them importance of competition. All entity processes (production, procurement, distribution, finance, and promotion) are involved in quality improvement efforts. 

 

Therefore, the two related perspectives of quality reflect the 

 

(1) totality of internal processes that generate a product or service and 

(2) customer satisfaction with that product or service.