QUALITY

Increasingly, large organisations are demanding that their suppliers can demonstrate consistent quality in the delivery of products and services. As a result, small companies are realising that one way to win and retain more trade is to provide customer satisfaction through quality service.

There is no agreement on a definition of 'quality'. Quite often these days it is understood in terms of meeting customer requirements or lack of defects. It is also sometimes described as "delighting the customer by fully meeting their needs and expectations"

However, there are recognised quality standards – such as ISO 9000 and Investors in People – as well as a range of quality management systems, benchmarking schemes and Business Excellence Models (BEMs), all of which are outlined in this guide.

This guide was reproduced with kind permission from Fit to Supply.