An insight about Quality


	*Revolutive IT™*

An insight about Quality

What is Quality?

Q uality... We know what it is, without knowing what it is. This is a contradiction. Some things are better than other, in other words, they have major Quality. But, trying to define what is quality, making abstraction of objects that possess it, it is impossible to find the words to describe it. But, if nobody knows what it is, in practice it does not exist. At contrary, it exists...
Why does people pay a fortune for given objects and would throw others in the garbage?
Obviousely because some things are better than others. But, what does mean that "better"?
The answer could be: "If you can't define Quality, what does you imagine its existence?"
And to this question we could give following answer: "Something exists if the world may not work without it."

Quality is independant of any shapes and forms, thus Quality is not an object, it is an Event. Following Pirsig, "Quality is the Buddha. Quality is scientific reality. Quality is the goal of Art".
Following Simone Brero (Bocconi Ticonzero University), for the ones who operates in industry, the Quality can be defined in the most pragmatic, objective and tangible way.
Following Reginald Schaughnessy, chairman of Iso's Technical Committee, that extends the standards of the Iso 9000 serial), the development of Quality must be coupled with the development of creativity and technology. "Iso 9000 is the foundation, the rest is up to you."
For the Eoq (European Organization for Quality) to fulfill its own vision and mission, it will need to reinvent itself... The foundations of standardization, control and assurance must be extended significantly to embrace... intagibles. Intanginbles such as the quality of leadership, having committed employees, and being customer driven are more important than tagibles when it comes to successful organizations.

Quality is thus an aspect of life that cannot be limited to pure rationality, it doesn't take into account only the problem of how to measure the tangible, but also the "immaterial", in other words, what stands behind the objects that gives them a meaning, and that doesn't refer to "rules", but also to "values"

Quality is not only the preoccupation of technical peoples, but of all the ones who operates in the organization at different levels of responsibility.

Quality - A definition

W e use here the definition of David A. Garvin (associated professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School) in his paper published by Harvard Business Review in 1987. He gives eight dimensions:
- Performance. Main operational characteristics of a given product.
- Features. Aspects of a product that even not mandatory for the correct functionality, are well accepted by the client (nice to have).
- Reliability. It is the correct work of the product along the time.
- Conformity to the specifications.
- Durability. Time to failure.
- Assistance.
- Estethic.
- Perceived Quality. It'a about the opinion that people has about a product or a brand.

Fortunately for people interseted in Quality, many has been told on the subject. A lot of initiatives have been undertaken to improve Quality. The area is very wide and a lot can be done. To have major understanding on Quality, the interested reader can follow the links below and broaden his/her knowledge of the subject. Obviousely, the list is not exhaustive.

Total Quality Management and Quality

Benchmarking and Quality

Key Performance Indicators and Quality

Function Point Analysis and Quality

ISO Certification and Quality

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Deming Prize, etc. and Quality

Capability Maturity Model and Quality

IT Metrics and Quality

Value, Software and ROI -- Why measuring returns is not so simple

ROI & IT Puchasing and Quality

Decision and Quality

A tlantis Technologies wishes to develop the Quality area in the future and provide his customers with services exclusively related to Quality. Should it be in the assessment of methodologies, assessment of analysis, and other services that we want to develop in order to still decrease IT costs and reach higher quality with our customers.

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