What is Quality? Essential Characteristics of Quality

What is Quality?

Quality is a characteristic of a product or service provided to a customer. Quality is sometimes defined as "meeting the requirements of the customer”.

Quality is an essential character, nature, an ingredient or distinguishing attribute, property, degree of excellence.

ISO 9000 is a series of standards of the term quality assurance system for manufacturing and service industries, developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO standard defines quality as "the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs."

There are many ways quality can be defined.  In manufacturing, quality is a measure of excellence or a state being free from defects, deficiencies and significant variations.

Quality can be defined from different perspective:

• Quality is customer satisfaction/delighted.

• Quality means fitness for use.

• Quality means zero defects.

• Quality is conformance to specified requirements.

• Quality means guarantee of confidence.

• Quality means value for money.

• Quality is efficiency and productivity.

• Quality means on time delivery.

• Quality is a systematic approach to excellence.

• Quality means credibility.

• Quality is a through revolution of management.

• Quality is a never ending cycle of improvement.

• Quality is the ultimate expression of craftsmanship.

• Quality means consistently producing conforming products.

• Quality means pride of ownership.