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 entails seeing customer’s needs as priority and working to ensure deliverables are achieved according to customer’s expectations.
The project manager has a role in driving home customer’s expectations by constantcommunication and monitoring of the various teams tasks.
Quality challenges shouldn’t be concealed from the customers and managers. They should be carried along from the beginning to the end.
Issues if any should be openly discussed so that actionable insights can be generated and implemented.
I agree with the statements above except
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.
Often times, individuals in third world countries work mainly to provide or fend for their needs, most employees are not very enthusiastic about their work hence the need for close supervision to produce quality products.
I agree with this statement…
Quality should focused on customers need….
Why do I agree with the above statement.
It’s because the end users of product which we referred to as the final consumers needs to be treated well in the sense that, they deserve a better or quality products so that they can make use of that product for some years…
For instance industrial machine needs a quality bearing for it to work well but when you buy less quality one, your plant or manufacturing company is liable to break down and it’s will affect your business.
Above scenario is why I agree with the initial statement which is ” quality should focused on customers need”…
Quality should be considered from the inception of the project and should be openly discussed to identify corrective actions. Quality can prioritize the customer’s need if the customer values quality over cost.
Micah Chijioke Madu
Project Management
Cohort 12
Team 6
I agree with the following statements about quality given the stated reasons:
1. Quality should be focused on the customer’s needs.
2. Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project.
3. Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions.
4. Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision.
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS
1. Quality should be focused on the customers’ needs.
The project scope is usually provided by the project organizers and in some cases, sponsors. Within this project scope is contained the intended or desired outcome. This means that there is a predetermined expectation of particular project quality required from the Project Manager. It therefore becomes paramount to the Project Manager that the project deliverables are of expected quality otherwise, they become useless to Organizers, Sponsor(s), or end-users.
2. Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project.
Success is intended at the very inception of any project and as such should be given due attention from the very beginning. Roles and responsibilities within the team should be allocated bearing areas of experience and expertise in mind. This is done in order to ensure quality delivery by team members which in turn affects general output.
3. Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions.
A more open discussion of project concerns puts challenges in better perspective for all team members. It gives the opportunity for the team to brainstorm on the situation at hand and agree on the most probable solution to situation. Such issues could better be discussed in smaller meetings with stakeholders, disclosing the situation as well as the solution arrived at by the team. This helps to diffuse the tension that otherwise would exist at a general meeting were stakeholders not pre-intimated of the issue.
4. Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision.
I judge the above to be correct because it is usually the case that project team members are usually focused on getting the work done on time and within budget, giving less attention to quality. This then makes it a matter of concern to the Project Manager, requiring him to ensure required quality delivery through targeted supervision of team activity all through the lifecycle of the project.
In any project or production, the need of customers should be considered when aiming for quality, before the commencement of any project or production, quality should be priotized. Quality issues should be openly discussed for corrective measures and should never be hidden from customer. When quality issues are concealed from the customers, it’ll prevent customers from trusting the producer/manager.
Project quality management is the process of continually measuring the quality of all activities and taking corrective action until the team achieves the desired quality.
Quality management processes help to: Control the cost of a project. Establish standards to aim for. Determine steps to achieve standards
I go with the third point that quality must be considered from the inception of the project as it gives the project a more genuine and solid structure,gives room for more projects setup and referrals.
Quality should be focused on the customers need -AGREE
Quality is focused internally -DISAGREE
Quality should be considered from the beginning of the project-DISAGREE
The execution phase of a project is the most critical to achieve quality targets-DISAGREE
Quality issues should be discussed openly to find corrective actions,-AGREE
Quality problems she be hidden from customers and possibly also managers-DISAGREE
People are keen on producing quality output-DISAGREE
Team members do not produce quality outputs without close supervision-DISAGREE
Discussing quality openly is essential to identify and fix issues. Open discussions help understand the needs of the people in your environment, creating room for detailed insights into your product and improvement opportunities. It’s crucial to align quality with customer preferences. Determining product quality early in production enables the team to focus on specific areas for improvement. In my opinion, quality should be a consideration in every project phase, and open discussions about it are crucial