If I had to define quality, the words ‘excellence, something of a high standard, without defects and highly durable” would have come to my mind.

Subjective as it can be, Popplewell and Wildsmith define it as “the degree of excellence by which consumers can be satisfied.”

This article will explore the importance and the benefits brought by quality in a business setting.

Importance of Quality:

In any organization, it is always the core values and core purpose that form part of its very foundation and existence. It forms the basis to develop and establish the market or the niche market which has been focused and to whom it would be served in a way that will assure the long-term survival of that organization.

Quality affects not only one’s business but also employees, suppliers and customers. So it is the fundamental aspect of every organization. As everyone knows, it is the customer who defines the quality of a product and service and the role of the supplier is, to any point in time, to satisfy the requirements of the customer.

As quality has also been defined not as an act but as a habit, hence the importance of working in a way that will continue to satisfy the customer is very fundamental. The future will be guaranteed only when the needs and expectations of customers are clearly identified and met. The habit must

also cover the mechanism to identify the influencers of dissatisfaction and to address them immediately to ensure that customers are retained and become life-long partners of one’s business.

It also helps to ensure the growth of your business in the passing of years as your products and services will walk the talk and gain new grounds and one can gradually go world class and/or best in class.

Through the use of quality principles and practices, the organization can easily manage the enterprise risks when it comes to the application of ISO standards. Hence a long-term survival for both the organization and the suppliers is ensured.

Benefits of Quality:

• Employees

First of all, employees will gain a lot in terms of clear work objectives and aims. They all get involved in designing the process and procedures that will deliver the right output rightly and at the right time. It will develop the personnel professionally and personally as a result of training and competencies to be aligned for the desired output delivery. There is more and more effectiveness and efficiency in job performance.

• Customers

Once customers are satisfied, they will come back and will continue to buy your products and services. Some customers may turn out to be loyal as they gradually build confidence in what you have to offer or have been offering.

Customers ‘getting value for money’ and what is purchased ‘be fit for purpose’ must always be considered in the products and services required.

Customer relationship is enhanced when, on a regular basis, customer satisfaction is measured thus helping the supplier to better understand what went wrong, what is being done well and where improvement is required. At the end, the customer benefits tremendously.

• Organization/Employer

For the organization, quality management becomes a framework for continual improvement; and whatever is removed as variability benefits both the organization and the customer.

The organization becomes competitive. It increases its market share and guarantees a good customer base. The organization develops an edge and becomes commercially advantageous.

• Suppliers and other Interested Parties

Now, the current version of the quality management system based on ISO 9001 brings substantial benefits to suppliers of raw materials, goods and services through their partners’ better understanding of the requirements of the end customers.

Suppliers also gain confidence in the organization; and through supplier, evaluation carried out systematically and periodically, the suppliers find it easy to resolve problems and thus ensure their survival.

Besides gaining a clear insight on market requirements, supplier-customer relationship is always enhanced.

Edward Deming told the Japanese about the chain reaction of quality improvement. He taught them that if the quality of products and services are improved, it will improve customer satisfaction and in turn, this will improve sales. If sales are improved, then profitability will be improved. If profitability is improved, then the organization will stay in business and will end up by providing more jobs.

Do you agree that quality plays a crucial role in the context of a business organization?