What Is Quality Management?
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| Conformance This dimension is closely related to the dimensions performance and features. The dimension of conformance is about to what extent the product or service conforms to the specifications. Does it function and have all the features as specified Every product and service has some sort of specifications that comes with it. For example, the materials used or the dimensions of a product can be specified and set as a target specification for the product. Something that can also be defined in the specification is the tolerance, which states how much a product is allowed to deviate from the target. Problematic with this approach is that it makes it easier for producers to focus lesson if the specifications have been met as long as they’ve met the tolerance limits. When it comes to service businesses, conformance is measured by focussing on the accuracy, the number of processing errors, unexpected delays and other common mistakes. Durability Out of the eight dimensions of quality, the dimension durability is about how long a product will last or perform and under what conditions it will perform. Estimating the length of a product’s life becomes complicated when it’s possible to repair the product. For such products, the durability will be counted until it is no longer economically beneficial to use it. This is when the repairs and the costs of repairing increase. Customers then must weigh the costs for future repairs against the costs of investing in anew one together with its operating expenses. In other cases, durability is measured by the amount someone can use a product before it stops working and repair is impossible. This, for example, is the case when alight bulb burns up and must be replaced by anew one. In this case, repairing it is impossible. Serviceability Serviceability is one of the eight dimensions of quality that reflects on if the product is relatively easy to maintain and repair. This becomes important for consumers who are more focused on the total cost of ownership as criteria for selecting a product. Serviceability reflects on how easy it is for the consumer to obtain repair service, how responsive the service personnel is, and how reliable the service is. It also focuses on the speed with which a product can be repaired and also the competence and behaviour of the personnel. Customers concerns are mainly about the product getting defects, but also how long it takes for the product to be repaired. It is not only important if a product can be fixed, but also how satisfied the customer is about the company’s complaint handling procedures. This can affect how the customer evaluates the service quality and eventually the company’s reputation. Each company has a different way of dealing with complaint handling and not every company attaches the same level of importance to serviceability. For example, there are companies that do their best to resolve the complaints they receive, while others don’t offer any service when it comes to complaints. An example of improving a company’s serviceability is by installing a cost-free phone number to reach the helplines. Aesthetics The aesthetics dimension is all about the way a product looks and contributes to the company’s identity or a brand. Aesthetics is not only about how a product looks but also about how it feels, tastes, smells or sounds. This is clearly determined by individual preference and personal judgement, however, there is away to measure this dimension. There are some clear patterns found in the way consumers rank products based on personal taste. Still, the aesthetics of a product is not as universal as the dimension performance. Not all people prefer the same taste or smell, which makes it impossible to please every single customer. For this reason, companies end up searching fora niche. Download 227.19 Kb. Share with your friends:
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