⭐ Why quality matters
Big Idea: Quality means the product or service meets or exceeds customer expectations. Good quality keeps customers happy and coming back! 🌟
The impact of quality
- Happy customers → repeat purchases and brand loyalty
- Good reputation → attracts new customers
- Fewer returns and complaints → lower costs
- Can charge higher prices for premium quality
- Competitive advantage over rivals
- Poor quality → customer complaints and returns
- Bad reviews → damaged reputation
- Wasted materials and rework → higher costs
- Loss of market share to competitors
🔍 Quality control vs quality assurance
Quality control (QC)
Quality control means checking products at the end of the production process to find and remove faulty ones.
- Inspection happens AFTER production
- Faulty products are rejected or fixed
- Simple to implement
- But: waste has already happened — defective items used up resources
Quality assurance (QA)
Quality assurance means building quality into every stage of production, so defects are prevented rather than found.
- Every worker is responsible for quality at their stage
- Standards and processes are set in advance
- Less waste — problems are caught early
- Can lead to certifications (e.g. ISO standards)
QC = catch defects at the end. QA = prevent defects throughout. QA is more proactive! 🛡️