4.5.1 Why Quality Is Important and How Quality May Be Achieved
Learning objective
Explain the concept of quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA), describe the steps and tools used in QC, and evaluate why maintaining quality is vital for meeting business and stakeholder objectives.
Why quality is important
- Customer satisfaction – high‑quality products and services meet or exceed expectations, encouraging repeat purchases.
- Market share & business growth – superior quality differentiates a firm, helping it win new customers and increase its share of the market.
- Profitability – fewer defects reduce waste, re‑work and warranty claims, lowering production costs.
- Brand reputation – consistent quality builds a trustworthy brand that attracts investors and partners.
- Stakeholder benefits – employees experience pride and less re‑work; shareholders enjoy higher returns; suppliers benefit from stable specifications.
- Legal and regulatory compliance – many sectors are subject to statutory quality standards (e.g., product‑safety legislation, environmental health & safety regulations, ISO 9001 certification). Meeting these legal controls protects the business from fines, product recalls and damage to reputation, directly linking to the syllabus sub‑topic “legal controls over business activity affecting the environment”.
Definitions
Quality control (QC) – reactive process of inspecting, testing and correcting products or services to ensure they meet defined standards.
Quality assurance (QA) – proactive system of planned and systematic activities that ensures processes are capable of delivering quality products consistently.
Steps in a QC process (syllabus wording) as stated in the syllabus
- Set quality standards – decide the required level (e.g., “95 % of shirts must have no loose threads”).
- Measure actual performance – use inspections, tests or data collection to obtain the current level of output.
- Identify deviations (defects) – compare the measured result with the standard and note any shortfalls.
- Take corrective action – adjust the process, retrain staff or repair equipment to eliminate the cause of the defect.
- Record results and review – keep a log of defects and actions taken, then analyse the data for continuous improvement.
QC tools and when to use them (with brief examples)
- Inspection checklists – useful for routine, step‑by‑step verification of product features. Example: a checklist for each stage of assembling a mobile phone.
- Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts – monitor variation over time; ideal for high‑volume, repetitive processes. Example: control chart tracking the diameter of ball‑bearing shafts on an assembly line.
- Pareto analysis – identifies the few causes that generate most defects (the 80/20 rule). Example: a Pareto diagram showing that 70 % of garment defects stem from stitching errors.
- Cause‑and‑effect (fishbone) diagram – helps teams explore all possible reasons for a problem. Example: fishbone diagram used by a bakery to investigate why cakes are under‑baked.
- Control limits & process‑capability indices (e.g., Cp, Cpk) – assess whether a process is statistically capable of meeting specifications. Example: calculating Cpk for a pharmaceutical tablet weight to ensure it stays within ±5 mg.
Measuring quality
A simple quantitative expression of quality performance is:
$$Q = \frac{\text{Number of good units}}{\text{Total units produced}} \times 100\%$$
How quality may be achieved
| Approach |
Focus |
Key activities |
Typical outcome |
| Quality Control (QC) |
Detecting defects |
Inspection, testing, corrective action |
Reduced waste and improved product conformity |
| Quality Assurance (QA) |
Preventing defects |
Process design, standard operating procedures, internal audits |
Consistent processes and fewer errors |
| Total Quality Management (TQM) |
Organisation‑wide quality culture |
Employee involvement, continuous improvement, customer focus |
Higher overall performance and stronger customer loyalty |
| International standards (e.g., ISO 9001) |
External benchmarking |
Documented quality management system, regular external audits, certification |
Credibility with customers, suppliers and regulators |
Implementing quality control in a business
- Define quality standards – use customer requirements, industry specifications and internal targets.
- Train staff – ensure employees understand the standards and can use QC tools correctly.
- Set up inspection points – place checks at critical stages of production or service delivery.
- Collect data – record defect rates, reasons for failure and corrective actions taken.
- Analyse results – apply statistical methods (e.g., control charts, Pareto) to spot trends.
- Take corrective action – modify processes, retrain staff or upgrade equipment.
- Review and improve – hold regular meetings to discuss QC performance and plan further improvements.
Note: the whole implementation plan should be documented in a quality manual, a term frequently used in IGCSE exam questions.
Benefits of effective quality control (linked to assessment objectives)
- Higher customer satisfaction and loyalty → increased market share (AO‑1).
- Lower costs from fewer returns, repairs and warranty claims (AO‑2).
- Improved efficiency and productivity (AO‑2).
- Enhanced brand reputation and competitive advantage (AO‑4).
- Compliance with legal, industry and international standards (AO‑3).
- Positive impact on internal stakeholders (employee morale, shareholder returns) (AO‑4).
Suggested diagram
Figure 1 – QC Cycle Flowchart (placeholder)
Set standards → Measure performance → Identify deviations → Take corrective action → Record & review → (loop back to Set standards)