Quality
ISO 8042 defines quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. Definitions:
Transcendent: excellence
Product: quality of product attributes
User-based: fitness for intended use
Value-based: quality vs. price
Manufacturing: conformance to specs
Quality Assurance
ISO 9000:2000 defines Quality Assurance as 'providing confidence that requirements will be met'. - update provided by J Broomfield; it can also be defined as 'the planned and systematic activities put in place to ensure quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled'.
Quality Assurance Plan
A detailed plan setting forth the process that will be used to measure supplier performance; defines what the organization must do to ensure that the supplier has performed in accordance with the performance standards.
Quality Circles
teams that follow a standard process of problem identification, root cause analysis, problem solving and implementation. In Japanese firms there is a greater focus on statistical quality control, employees meet on own time and all employees receive a bonus for the performance of the entire organization. Guide to Quality Control, Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, English version 1986. Also recommend 'Managing; A Revival of the Quality Circle' in NY Times.
Quality Control
the observation techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality.
Quality Engineering
Set of operational, managerial and engineering activities that a company uses to ensure that the quality characteristics of a product are at the nominal or required levels.
Quality Function Deployment
Click here to read more about QFD
Quality Improvement
Quality is inversely proportional to variability. Quality Improvement is the reduction of variability in products and processes.
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