Quality

What is quality? Dictionary.com gives a number of meanings, starting from "an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute" to "native excellence or superiority". Wikipedia, on the other hand, unequivocally states quality to be the "non-inferiority, superiority or usefulness of something."

We all know a number of buzzwords about quality, words such as ISO 9000, SQC, TQM and Six Sigma. We all have heard about the names of the quality experts who matter, names like Demming, Taguchi and Juran.

But beyond all these, and all of them, I think primarily quality is a state of mind.

It is quality, why a grandmother keeps her kitchen and her pots and pans spotlessly clean. It is quality why we spruce up our leaving room if guests are expected. It is quality why we caringly wrap up a gift, even while knowing that it will soon be torn and thrown away. It is quality, why we print a marriage invitation on special paper, knowing all the while that its life will be short lived.

Opposite of quality is not poor quality. Opposite of quality is apathy.

Take away that mindset about quality away, and no amount Quality Management helps. Then no matter of how much of SQC and TQM practices you put in place, you cannot prevent the production of shoddy goods and services.

Quality is all about 'I care'. Practice that attitude, and the rest will all fall in place.