Quality Control & Assurance | Business Studies for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

The Importance of Quality

• Quality pertains to the attributes and characteristics of a product that meet customer needs.
• Businesses must uphold quality for several reasons:
  • Attracting and retaining loyal customers
  • Enhancing the reputation of the business or brand
  • Minimizing wastage and returns resulting from dissatisfied customers
• Quality products can confer a competitive advantage:
  • High quality and fewer defects reduce business costs, enabling competitive pricing against rivals.
  • Quality serves as a promotional tool and a unique selling point in competitive markets.
  • Establishing a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for quality can enhance business reputation and facilitate expansion into new markets.
• Failure to maintain quality can lead to:
  • Loss of competitive advantage and customers to brands offering superior quality goods/services.
  • Increased costs from replacing faulty or defective goods.
  • Development of a poor reputation as dissatisfied customers spread negative reviews.
• Customer perceptions of quality are influenced by various factors.

Diagram of Factors that Influence Quality Perception

• Consumers tend to perceive products or services as high-quality if they have an appealing appearance and are offered by a well-known and trustworthy company or brand.
  • Quality is also associated with reliability and durability, indicating that the product or service performs consistently well over time.
  • Safety and suitability for the intended purpose are crucial factors influencing consumers' perceptions of quality.
  • Good customer service, including support provided after the sale, contributes significantly to the perceived quality of a product or service.
• In certain jurisdictions, legal regulations safeguard consumers, necessitating that businesses ensure their products are free from defects or flaws to prevent harm to customers and protect their own reputation.

Quality Control

• Quality control involves the traditional practice of inspecting quality at the end of the production process. This is typically carried out by quality inspectors to identify any faults.
• Perfection in every production process is unattainable due to factors such as variations in materials, differences in production skills, and the reliability of the final product.
  • For instance, there will always be discrepancies in terms of materials used, the application of production skills, and the dependability of the end product.

Evaluating Quality Control

Quality Assurance

• Quality assurance involves employees actively monitoring quality standards at various stages of the production process.
• Its objective is to ensure quality by organizing every step to achieve a "right first time" outcome and prevent errors from occurring.
  • There's a preference for "self-checking" procedures over reliance on inspectors solely at the end of the process.
• Total Quality Management (TQM) represents a specific approach to quality assurance, aiming to foster a culture of quality across the entire organization.
  • TQM entails continuous improvement of both products and processes, with a focus on maintaining high quality at every stage of production.
  • Its goal is to attain perfection on the first attempt and reach a state of 'zero defects'.

Evaluating Quality Assurance