Quality Control & Assurance (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Business)
Revision Note
Written by: Danielle Maguire
Reviewed by: Steve Vorster
The Importance of Quality
Quality considers the characteristics and features of a product that satisfy the needs of customers
Businesses need to maintain a level of quality for several reasons
Attract and retain loyal customers
Build the reputation of the business or brand
Reduce wastage and returns from unsatisfied customers
The quality of a businesses products can provide a competitive advantage
High quality and minimal defects lowers business costs allowing lower selling prices to better compete with rivals
High quality can be used in promotional activity and provide a unique selling point for businesses in competitive markets
Successfully developing a USP for quality can improve business reputation and ease expansion into new markets
If quality is not maintained then businesses may be at risk of
Losing their competitive advantage and customers to other brands who offer better quality goods/services
Experiencing higher costs due to having to replace faulty or defected goods
Gaining a poor reputation as customers spread poor reviews about the business to others
Customer perceptions of quality are influenced by numerous factors
Diagram: factors that influence quality perception
Customers may consider products or services to be of good quality if they
Look good and are sold by a reputable business or brand
Are reliable and durable
Are safe and fit for purpose
Receive good customer service, including after-sales service
In some countries laws protect consumers so businesses need to ensure that the products it sells are free of faults or defects to avoid harming customers or their reputation
Examiner Tips and Tricks
‘Quality’ does not necessarily mean producing a high-priced, excellent product
How quality is defined depends upon the industry in which the business operates, the product and price. It will also be the subjective opinion of customers
For example, if you buy a low-priced remote controlled toy drone would you expect it to work as well as an expensive toy drone. The answer will probably be based on your expectations of quality and price, but you would want it to work and be free of faults
Quality Control
Quality control is a traditional method of checking quality at the end of the production process using quality inspectors to find faults
It is not possible to achieve perfection in every production process
E.g. There will always be some variation in terms of materials used, production skills applied, reliability of the finished product
Evaluating Quality Control
Benefits | Drawbacks |
---|---|
|
|
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance involves employees checking quality standards throughout the production process
It aims to achieve quality by organising every process to get the product 'right first time' and prevent mistakes happening
There is an emphasis on 'self-checking' rather than checking by inspectors at the end of the process
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a specific approach to quality assurance that aims to develop a quality culture throughout the firm
TQM is the continuous improvement of products and processes by focusing on quality at every stage of production
It tries to get it right first time and achieve ‘zero defects’
Evaluating Quality Assurance
Benefits | Drawbacks |
---|---|
|
|
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Ensure you understand the subtle but distinct difference between quality control and quality assurance. You may be asked to recommend an approach to quality and there are notably different advantages and disadvantages to each approach
Last updated:
You've read 0 of your 5 free revision notes this week
Sign up now. It’s free!
Did this page help you?