Total Quality Management, 2nd Edition

1

Quality Concepts

“Quality is not an art, it is a habit.”

Aristotle

Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Understand the various definitions and the importance of quality
2. Describe the different types and levels of quality
3. Explain the five paradigms of quality
4. Understand the eight dimensions of product quality and the determinants of service quality
5. Describe the differences between old quality and new quality
6. Understand the costs of poor quality

Introduction

We are surrounded by quality failures that are appallingly expensive in terms of money lost, opportunities foregone and grief incurred. Poor quality processes at its Bhopal pesticide plant cost the Union Carbide Corporation 420 million pounds in compensation claims in ...