Note 2: Defining Strategic Quality Management
Quality is an ever-changing state (i.e., what is considered quality today
may not be good enough to be considered quality tomorrow).
Subjective Definition
"Quality is neither mind nor matter, but a third entity independent of the
two, even though quality cannot be defined, you know what it is."
(R. M. Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
In the subjective sense the term ‘quality’ is an intangible – it has
dimensions of:
trust reliability
reputation honesty
responsibility safety
responsiveness competence ethics
=> Businesses and other organisations need to manage and maintain these
intangible assets:
to ensure customer confidence in the product or service
to maintain employee morale
to facilitate communication within the business network
Traditional view of quality are:
Focused on after-the-fact inspections of products.
Employees are passive workers who followed orders.
Focus on short term profits
Meeting customer specifications.
Quality is inspected into the product.
Defects are an expected part of producing a product.
Quality is a separate function.
Quality is an ever-changing state (i.e., what is considered quality today
may not be good enough to be considered quality tomorrow).
Subjective Definition
"Quality is neither mind nor matter, but a third entity independent of the
two, even though quality cannot be defined, you know what it is."
(R. M. Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
In the subjective sense the term ‘quality’ is an intangible – it has
dimensions of:
trust reliability
reputation honesty
responsibility safety
responsiveness competence ethics
=> Businesses and other organisations need to manage and maintain these
intangible assets:
to ensure customer confidence in the product or service
to maintain employee morale
to facilitate communication within the business network
Traditional view of quality are:
Focused on after-the-fact inspections of products.
Employees are passive workers who followed orders.
Focus on short term profits
Meeting customer specifications.
Quality is inspected into the product.
Defects are an expected part of producing a product.
Quality is a separate function.
