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 considered from the beginning of the project,
Before beginning a new project, agree upon what counts as “quality” for that specific project and what needs to be done in order to achieve that level of quality. As mentioned, this will depend on what that customer or stakeholder expects from the project’s deliverables.
1. Quality should prioritize the customer’s needs.: this is true as products and services or projects are designed to satisfy the customer. Where quality is carried out without consideration of the end user, the project will be a wasted effort.
2. Quality is an internal focus.: this may not apply in all cases unless delivering quality projects is a core value of the organisation.
3. Quality should be considered from the project’s inception.: this is necessary because delivery quality will affect the cost of the project, and the timeline of the project.
4. The execution phase of a project is crucial for achieving quality goals.: Proper supervision of the execution of a project is critical in achieving quality delivery of projects. This is where the planned and budgeted quality becomes a reality.
5. Quality issues should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions.: this is important to ensure the best quality project is delivered.
6. Quality problems should be concealed from customers and possibly managers: this will be the wrong action to take as it may pose future risks to the project owner and damage the credibility of the Project Manager.
7. Individuals are enthusiastic about producing high-quality outcomes.: Not all the time. individuals may be more concerned about rounding up the project and getting paid than, producing high-quality outcomes. This is the very reason why it is necessary to have a project manager.
8. Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision.: This may not be true in all cases as some team members have a personal reputation to protect and are unwilling to compromise on the quality of their output.
1. I agree that “Quality should be focused on the customer’s needs”. This ensures that the product or service meets the expectations and requirements of the end-user.
2. I disagree that “Quality is focused internally”. While internal processes are crucial for ensuring quality, ultimately, quality should be measured by how well it meets the needs and expectations of the customer.
3. I agree that “Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project”. Early consideration of quality factors can help prevent issues down the line and ensure that quality is built into the project from the start.
4. I agree that “The execution phase of a project is critical to achieving quality goals.” This is when plans are put into action, and any deviations from quality standards can have significant impacts on the final product or service.
5. I agree that “Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions”. Open communication about quality problems allows for timely identification and resolution, ultimately leading to continuous improvement.
6. I strongly disagree: that “Quality problems should be concealed from customers and possibly managers”. Transparency is essential in addressing quality issues effectively and building trust with stakeholders. Hiding problems can lead to bigger issues and erode confidence in the organization.
7. I disagree that “Individuals are enthusiastic about producing high-quality outcomes”. While many individuals strive for quality in their work, this statement is overly generalized and does not account for variations in motivation, skill level, or other factors that can influence quality output.
8. I disagree that “Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision”. While supervision can be important for guidance and support, many team members are capable of producing quality outputs autonomously, especially when they are properly trained and motivated.
I totally agree that quality should be focused on customer needs because that is only when they can get utility. People prefer quality over quantity especially those who are final consumers.
Quality should be considered at the beginning of a project because it will help meet up with the company goals and uphold its values. As a Project manager, apart from building a committed team, we are expected to consider the company’s goals, ethics and values hence quality products is paramount in the project.
The execution stage of a project is the most critical to achieve quality target. There is a parable that states, “how you start determines how you finish”. Starting on a good note determines the outcome of our journey.
Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions. Just like the case study we had, it is important to discuss these issues openly as a team so that ideas and suggestions as to how it can be corrected will be generated to fix it in other to meet our expected goal and target.
The quality of the project determines a whole lot of how the customers perceive the product and it also depicts value. I agree with this statement. When quality is focused on, it automatically exceeds customer’s expectations.
I also totally agree that quality should be considered from the beginning of the project. Quality should be integrated into every phase of a project from the inception of the project.
The execution phase is crucial for implementing quality measures and ensuring adherence to standards, quality planning and control throughout the project lifecycle are equally important.
Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions. I completely agree with this statement. Open communication about quality issues is essential for identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, and preventing future occurrences.
People are keen on producing quality outcomes through the outputs of the team members. Generally, individuals strive to produce quality outcomes especially when they understand the importance of their work and its impact on customers and stakeholders.
For me. Quality is the value of deviation from the beauty or usefulness of any product or deliverable from the core imagination concept and desire of the user which was initially noted as understood and recorded..
The higher ther deviation the lower the quality. The lower the deviation, the higher the quality of any project or product.
Quality should be focused on the customer’s needs. I agree with this statement. Quality ultimately revolves around meeting or exceeding customer expectations and delivering products or services that satisfy their needs.
Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project. I strongly agree with this statement. Quality should be integrated into every phase of a project from its inception to ensure that it is built into the product or service from the start.
The execution phase of a project is the most critical to achieve quality targets. I partially agree with this statement. While the execution phase is crucial for implementing quality measures and ensuring adherence to standards, quality planning and control throughout the project lifecycle are equally important.
Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions. I completely agree with this statement. Open communication about quality issues is essential for identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, and preventing future occurrences.
People are keen on producing quality outputs. I agree with this statement. Generally, individuals strive to produce quality outputs, especially when they understand the importance of their work and its impact on customers and stakeholders.
Quality should be considered from the project’s inception., i totally agree with this because this will gives the insight of what your project will look like and combines how the project will come out
A project manger and it’s team should focus on the quality of a project from the beginning of that project, this will bring hardwork
Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project: I concur because the quality of service rendered to customers will enhance product awareness to so many as the quality is tested.
Quality should be focused on the customers needs: this is very true. we tend to satisfy the customers based on the quality of the service purchased and should not render under quality service .
The execution phase of a project is the most critical to achieve quality targets: very true! this should be considered first and must be done with all form of concentration to avoid substandard goods to the public.
1. Quality should prioritize the customer’s needs: I don’t completely agree that quality should prioritize the customer’s need. This is because, the customer sometimes don’t really know what exactly they need and what it will take to give them maximal satisfaction. Meanwhile, focusing only on the customer’s need for quality has the tendency to weaken every other need.
2. Quality is an internal focus: I don’t agree with this also because there are external factors that has the tendency to undermine overall quality.
3. Quality should be considered from the project’s inception: Absolutely! It is very necessary to identify what quality mean to every stakeholder from the inception of the project. This will help align properly to eventually getting quality.
4. The execution phase of a project is crucial for achieving quality goals: Yes. The execution phase is what determines the outcome of the project. Therefore, it is very crucial for achieving quality goals.
5. Quality issues should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions: I agree. Open communication is important for having a good understanding among stakeholders and for continuous improvements towards the desired quality output
6. Quality problems should be concealed from customers and possibly managers: I don’t think it is appropriate to conceal quality problems from customers and managers as this amounts to lack of transparency and could breed distrust among stakeholders which can further impede the project.
7. Individuals are enthusiastic about producing high-quality outcomes: This is not always the case as individual motivations can differ across board.
8. Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision: This is also dependent on individuals as some team members understand the goals and can deliver high quality without necessarily being micro managed.