There are many factors that can be included as measures of quality: size, volume, speed, finish and output are just a few examples.
It is possible to address each as a separate factor or some times formulae can be created to look at them as a whole.
As sustainability becomes more important to organisations, a broader range of quality factors many need to be considered. For example , is there an impact on the local community? Is there pollution created?
- Have a look at this website Measure What Matters to see how some businesses are addressing this.
- This Wikipedia article on Triple Bottom Line provides another way to consider businesses and projects by having a triple bottom line rather than just a financial bottom line.
- This also links well to the concept of tolerance.
- What is the + or - on the measure of quality?
- Can the product be 2 mm longer and still work or can it only be 0.00002 mm longer?
- Is there an amount of pollution that is acceptable, such as the quality standards for car emissions?
Forum
- Briefly describe any project you are aware of and outline how it addresses quality as it relates to social, economic and environmental measures.
- Can you describe the levels of tolerance that it had for some of the quality standards?
- These might be measurable numbers or they might be described in a sentence.
- Post your answers in the forum.
