What is quality? ( Best Definition and Meaning )

"What is Quality?"

Quality the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies and significant variations.

According to Ishikawa:

If a company follows the principle of “quality first,” its profits will increase in the long-run. If a company pursues the goal of attaining a short-term profits, it will lose competitiveness in the international market, and will lose profit in the long run.

According to Dana M. Cound “A Call for Leadership”

The secret of Japan’s success is an unrelenting, some might say fanatical adherence to what amounts to a de facto national policy. That policy is quality first.

Deming’s Meaning of Quality:

1. What is quality? 
2. What would someone mean by the quality of a shoe?
3.  Let us suppose that it is a man’s shoe that he is asking about. Does he mean by good quality that it wears a long time? Or that it takes a shine well? 
4.  That is feels comfortable? 
5.  That it is waterproof? 
6.  That the price is right in consideration of whatever he considers quality? 
7.  Put another way, what quality-characteristics are important to the customer?

Meaning of Quality:

• Quality is Meeting Customer  Expectation.
• Quality concepts apply to products and to services.
• Quality has many “scales” or “characteristics” .
• Quality should be aimed at the needs of the customer .
• Quality means meeting the product quality characteristics that are     important to the customer.
• Quality is about making organisations perform for their stakeholders from improving products, services, systems and processes, to making sure that the whole organisation is fit and effective.

• Quality is  Fitness for use.

Juran’s Definition of Quality :

•An essential requirement of… products is that they meet the needs of those members of society who will actually use them. This concept of fitness for use is universal…The popular term for fitness for use is quality, and our basic definition becomes quality means fitness for use. - J. M. Juran

Feigenbaum’s Definition of Quality :

•Product and service quality can be defined as: The total composite product and service characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance through which the product and service in use will meet the expectations of the customer - A. V. Feigenbaum

Crosby’s Definition of Quality :

•Quality is conformance to requirements - P. Crosby

Ishikawa’s Definition of Quality :

•Narrowly interpreted, quality means quality of product
•Broadly interpreted, quality means quality of work, quality of service, quality of information, quality of process, quality of division, quality of people, including workers, engineers, managers, and executives, quality of system, quality of company, quality of objectives, etc. To control quality in its every manifestation is our basic approach .

ISO Definition of Quality :

•Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs

Working Definition of Quality

• Quality meets requirements
• Quality is binary
• Quality focuses on requirements
• Requirements must be in writing
• Requirements must be verifiable

Tenets of Quality :

• Quality is directed at customer satisfaction.
• Quality means “meets requirements”.
• Quality applies to every product.
• Quality is a profitable investment.
• Quality requires changing an organization’s culture.
• Quality requires top management leadership.
• Quality is everybody’s job.
• Quality equates to “good business practice”.
• Quality requires a focus on people .
• Quality is achieved through process improvement.
• Quality improvement is forever .
• Quality must be a fundamental long-term goal.