Factors affecting Product Quality

Definition

The definition of product quality may be rather wide as it is a nebulous concept. It may be regarded as the overall or specific aggregate value of satisfaction of the functions and characteristics of a product. The quality of a product is usually relative. There is no standard measure though rules are in place to ensure minimum quality standards are complied with by manufacturers.

Product quality may be viewed in three different perspectives:

• Customer: Product quality to a buyer will refer to its appeal, functionality, durability, and reliability of a product.
• Manufacturer: Quality will be viewed as engineering, the type of raw materials used and packaging practices used in the production of a specific good.
• Product: This is more of an objective test of a product’s durability and reliability.

Product quality is very important for the company. Maintenance of high-quality products secures a high level of demand and patronage by end users while poor quality products affect the consumer’s confidence, reputation, and sales of the company. The focus is on product quality, pre-production, during and post-production.

It is needless to say that it is essential for every company to ensure better quality products to their consumers who pay for them and expect to receive the best-quality products. If this satisfaction is not met, competing products may be opted for.

Characteristics of product quality

• Fitness for use
• Features that meet consumer needs and give customer satisfaction
• Freedom from deficiencies or defects
• Conformance to standards
• Value or worthiness for money
• Reliable and dependable
• Quality of design
• Quality conformance to needs and regulations
• Proper storage
• Safety

Factors affecting product quality

• Use of production technology
• Skill set, tools, and experience of labor
• Availability of needed raw materials
• Storage facilities
• Carriage or transport facility.

Components of product quality

• Quality planning: Repeated efforts to discover defects and reveal the causes.
• Quality control: Controlling production, carrying out repairs and warranty costs through defect discovery and maintenance.
• Quality assurance: Effective tracking of problem reports and customer complaints in an effort to resolve the queries in a timely fashion.
• Quality improvement: This involves public relations and interaction with other enterprise customer management systems and integration with other enterprises for recognizing customer complaints reports.

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