Plastics News Europe - July/August 2019 - 16

quality management

quality - measure
it, manage it
Quality management is an increasingly
important aspect in plastics manufacturing
processes. But what is quality?

uality means many different
things to different people and
the apparently simple question 'What is quality?' is not always
easy to answer, according to Robin
Kent, founder and manager of Tangram Technology, a consulting engineering firm for plastics processing.
"When most people are asked to
name a 'quality car' they will initially
nominate an expensive car," he
pointed out. "This is because of the
common confusion between 'expense' and 'quality' and linking the
two. When asked how they would
rate an expensive car that always
broke down, then they will reconsider
the question."
The reality, he said, is that an expensive car is not always a quality
car. "Price is a vital factor in assessing quality because we do not expect the same features or performance from a low-cost car. Our
perception of quality is linked to the
product cost."
However, there are a multitude of
definitions of 'quality' and, while a
company can choose the one that
best suits their needs, it must always
be kept in mind that the definition of
quality is not static, but, indeed,
transitory - the highest quality product of today can be an 'also-ran'
product of tomorrow because of
changes in competing products and
prices. As the product and process
environment changes so does the
apparent quality of the product and
process. What was considered a
'quality' product in 1999 is definitely
no longer a quality product in 2019,
emphasised Kent.

Changing definitions
The initial definitions of quality were
generally framed in terms of 'meeting
specifications', 'meeting expectations' and 'customer satisfaction'.
This was a challenge in itself for many
companies at the beginning of the
quality revolution.
Improvements in quality levels and
changes in expectations have led to
additions to the concept and defini-

Quality is often associated with price

tion of process and product quality.
Current definitions look at 'exceeding' expectations and other areas
such as sustainability and 'green' issues.
"Quality is no longer simply about
what is in the box but considers the
whole package that surrounds the
product - and the box," said Kent.
The definition of quality is now
based as much on perception as on
reality and varies with the person and
with the 'brand' awareness (expectations). In other words: "You may not
be able to define it but you will know
it when you feel it."
Whatever internal definition is
used, the only really important definition is that one used by the customer.
Customers can define quality however they want and as the customer, this
is their right. Moreover, customers
possess the ultimate sanction if the
definitions vary.

Quality Control versus
Quality Assurance
'Quality management' is an umbrella
term that covers all the areas of quality. It uses quality assurance and process tools to achieve more consistent
july/august 2019

Plastics News Europe - July/August 2019

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