Companies must measure quality in numerous ways at each phase of a product’s lifecycle.
From the food we eat to the products we use, quality is very important. In fact, the success of any company depends on the quality of the product or service it offers. For manufacturing companies, factors such as safety, efficiency and reliability all affect the quality of a product and ultimately influence overall customer satisfaction.
Quality can be defined and measured differently depending on the audience. For example, a parts manufacturer, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and an end user may assess quality in different ways. From a manufacturing perspective, many companies define quality as a product exceeding customer expectations. In order to surpass these expectations, companies must understand their customers’ needs and measure quality in numerous ways at each phase of a product’s lifecycle—from early product design all the way through the product reaching the market.