Overview of chapter 1
This chapter introduces the concept of Quality. Traditionally, one would start with a definition of the topic. However, Quality is a difficult one to define. Put another way, there can be many definitions and they would all be correct. The difficulty in defining it is that, as soon as it is defined, we have set parameters for it, thereby restricting its scope and application, at least restricting its wide meaning. Notice that we spell Quality with a capital "Q" while it is being discussed as a concept; however, defining quality is relatively simple and we will define it within the context of our discussion. In this chapter, we will keep our discussion focused on the concept rather than the context relevant to us. In the following chapters, we will discuss various philosophies on the topic of Quality and how they are articulated.
Topics
The topics to be studied in this chapter are:
- 1.1 The concept of Quality
- 1.2 The role of Quality in business
1.2.1 Measuring Quality and performance
Learning outcomes
When you have completed this chapter, you should be able to:
- understand the concept of Quality;
- identify the link between Quality and customer service.
