Quality controls are problematic in that they only serve to increase the cost and the time-to-delivery of the end product.

Essay by hwbetzCollege, UndergraduateB+, April 2004

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Certainly Quality Controls cost. The question is, whether these costs can be offset by savings made as a result of them.

With it being necessary for organisations to review and tightly control expenditures, especially in tougher times, there's often a tendency to put quality on the back burner. Especially as the concept of TQM and Quality Assurance is so complex that it can be difficult to attract interest in the managerial departments. Ironically, these occasions, present the greatest opportunities for minimizing operational losses by the judicious pursuit of quality improvement projects. The approach to both quality and to financial controls is to minimize inefficiencies and waste. As such, it's important that management and employees alike are on the same page in their view to providing a value-added approach in everything they do for their customers. Such a concept should align itself with quality issues, and the overall organisational goal to improve operational efficiency, quality and customer service levels.

If the cost of quality controls versus the cost of poor quality is what is in question, then let us take a look at why a company should consider any form of quality controls.

Put this into excel and make a table from it

Quality controlsPromotes Competitive advantage

Improves the Image of the Organisation

Improves Productivity

Improves Job Satisfaction & Motivation

Increases Certainty in Dynamic Markets

Addresses Environmental concerns

Aims to better match the service/product with the consumer

(ie fitness for intended purpose)

Reduces costs related to reworks, rejects, recalls & Customer Service etc

While some might say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" From the above table, it is clear there are many advantages for improving quality standards. There's also a growing current consumer environment where quality controls are demanded from suppliers, by way of various quality assurance standards etc.