- 2082 Bhadra · 1+3+4 marks
Quality; cost of quality; assuring quality
Short answer
Quality is meeting requirements. Cost of quality includes prevention, appraisal, and failure costs; investing in prevention reduces larger failure costs, boosting profit and reputation. Quality is assured through clear specs, quality plans, material testing, inspections, audits, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.
Define quality. Explain the importance of cost of quality. How can the quality of a product be assured?
Quality
Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of a product or service meets the requirements: the specified standards, the client's needs and fitness for use. In construction, quality means the work follows the drawings, specifications and codes and is safe, durable and functional.
Importance of cost of quality
Cost of quality (COQ) is the total cost spent to achieve quality and the cost of the failure to achieve it.
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention cost | Cost of preventing defects | Training, planning, design review |
| Appraisal cost | Cost of checking quality | Inspection, testing, audits |
| Internal failure cost | Defects found before delivery | Rework, scrap, delay |
| External failure cost | Defects found after delivery | Repair, warranty, claims, bad reputation |
Importance:
- Shows how much money is lost by poor quality, so management can act.
- A small extra cost on prevention and appraisal reduces much larger failure costs.
- Helps to choose the best level of quality and to justify quality budgets.
- Improves profit, client satisfaction and company reputation.
- Is used to compare projects and to find the areas for improvement.
How quality is assured
- Clear requirements: complete drawings, specifications and standards.
- A quality plan, with responsibilities, procedures and checklists.
- Selecting competent contractors and trained staff.
- Approval and testing of materials and equipment.
- Inspection at hold points and testing during the work.
- Quality audits, documentation and traceability.
- Corrective and preventive action for non-conformities.
- Continuous improvement (PDCA cycle) and feedback from the client.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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