Various definitions of the concept of quality have been put forward.
One generic definition (Pass, 2006b) is as follows:
The overall characteristics of a product or service that fulfill the requirements of customers in terms of quality.
This definition aligns with the viewpoint of Joseph Juran, who, in the 1950s, defined quality as ‘fitness for use’ (as quoted in ASQ, 2019).
This definition is largely consistent with the definition of quality provided by APM (2019, p. 214):
The suitability for the intended purpose and the degree to which the output of a process or the process itself conforms to the requirements.
Now take a moment to consider the following statements about quality. Which ones do you agree with?
- Quality should prioritize the customer’s needs.
- Quality is an internal focus.
- Quality should be considered from the project’s inception.
- The execution phase of a project is crucial for achieving quality goals.
- Quality issues should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions.
- Quality problems should be concealed from customers and possibly managers.
- Individuals are enthusiastic about producing high-quality outcomes.
- Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision.
Share your thoughts on these statements in the discussion section below.
Quality should be practiced in any project. Any project that is not built on quality cannot be fit or used.
For quality to be achieved in any project, project teams, stakeholders and project managers first need to consider the level of quality of what to deliver.
Quality issues should also be discussed openly.
This is where Feedback comes in to find compensatory actions
Quality is customer satisfaction with the project product, service or result.
So I agreed with Quality should be focused on customer’s needs. The goal of project is to achieve the expected benefits and the clients or customers satisfaction is top notch. And Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project because the aim of it is to satisfy the clients or customers.
Team members do not produce quality output without close supervision. The project manager must supervise the team members so they can hit the target of the required outputs.
From all we have discussed so far from the module,I agree that quality is an internal focus.
And should be considered from the project’s inception.
I also agree that the execution phase of a project is crucial for achieving quality goals and issues realted should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions.
Quality problems should be concealed from customers and possibly managers.
Individuals are enthusiastic about producing high-quality outcomes.
Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision.
I totally agree that quality should prioritize the customer’s needs. It’s like putting the customer at the heart of everything you do. When you focus on meeting their needs and exceeding their expectations, you’re more likely to deliver a product or service that really hits the mark. It’s all about creating something that adds value and brings satisfaction to the customer.
it’s like a guiding principle that shapes every decision and action. It’s about understanding what the customer values, their preferences, and tailoring the product or service to meet those expectations. By keeping the customer at the forefront, you’re not just delivering a solution; you’re creating an experience that resonates with them. It’s like building a strong relationship based on trust and satisfaction.
Quality in any project must be priorities, as a matter of fact a project that comprises quality has failed. Quality is good better or best standard of product or satisfaction. The quality of of a managed project would give birth to another.
The main purpose of any project is about producing quality. Any project or output that is not focused on quality is not fit for use hence, it is important that outputs or projects are focused on the level of utility or quality that customers will derive from the output. Also, quality should also be focused internally. Any organization that is willing and ready to compete and excel among stiff competition should be ready to be focused on delivering quality internally. The stakeholders need to be emphatic about delivering quality and the project team must be focused on delivering quality project.
For quality to be achieved in any project, project team, stakeholders and the project managers first need to consider the level of quality of what they want to deliver. The attention given to the level of quality a project is to achieve will determine the level of quality of the output. More so, the execution phase of any project is the main determinant on how qualitative a project will be on delivery hence, the level of work put in to ensure quality is during the execution phase will likely be the main determinant of the output although, several other factors such as budget, team interest, stakeholders’ interest, etc. are very important as well.
Moreover, quality issues may be discussed publicly to allow team members and other stakeholders share their ideas and proffer solutions to quality issues provided that it has been discussed internally without a unique solution. However, quality issues or problems should be hidden from customers as they may see them as defects to the output but, managers should be made aware of the problems so as to serve as a learning experience in similar future projects.
People are always keen on delivering quality outputs but most times, keenness does not translate to the availability of all necessary factors that will bring about the quality of the output. These may includes budget, skills, interest, amongst others hence, it is important that team members are closely supervised to ensure that quality is achieved in any project.
From my own point of view, quality should be considered from the project’s inception because if time and cost should only be considered, the project’s set goal is not achieved. quality makes the project plan wholistic and attained. for example, in a bridge construction project, the project manager will have the quality of the project deliverable as a bedrock to other plans/process and this helps to curtail unnecessary costs and prolonged time that may come up due to bad quality of the project work delivered,
stakeholders and clients satisfaction with the project work is paramount because the problem identified for the project to begin should be solved and in solving this, quality is a key factor.
Quality should be focused on Customer’s needs and it should be considered from the beginning of the project so that the budgeting will be made. Quality issues should also be discussed openly( this is where feedbacks come in) to find corrective actions. Some team members may compromise on quality without supervision so they need to be supervised ny the PM to be sure they are adhering to the project goals on quality.
From my experience as a PM, the workers on a project unusually do not carry the thirst or vision being carried by the PM, hence, a close monitoring is required to ensure compliance. And in cases of compliance with little or no supervision, such staff or worker should be rewarded and encouraged(not necessarily monetary) , however, this could help wake up the sleeping integrity in others
Quality should be based on customer needs and should be considered from the project planning phase. Continuous measurements and periodic evaluation should be carried out on each and every phase.
OKODI Okodi, Cohort 13, Team 10
Quality can be defined in many ways; however, I believe that quality is simply about satisfying the desires of the customer. The customer should always be the primary focus of any service, and meeting their needs is what constitutes quality.
In a different context, a project is considered to be of high-quality if it meets the project’s requirements in terms of time and cost and adheres to the project’s scope. Moreover, the project’s quality should be measured against other similar projects executed under the same conditions, budget, and time.
Examples of projects that meet quality standards are those that meet the requirements of the customer, adhere to the project’s scope, and are completed within the specified time and budget.
I agree with the following statements regarding quality:
1. Quality should prioritize the customer’s needs.
2. Quality should be considered from the project’s inception.
3. The execution phase of a project is crucial for achieving quality goals.
4. Quality issues should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions.
However, I have a slightly different perspective with the statement that quality is an internal focus. I believe that the customer validated the quality of goods and services and if they are not satisfied, it means that the project has failed to meet their quality specifications. Therefore, quality is more of an external focus than it is an internal one.