📌 Part A – 1 Mark Questions (Very Short Answer)
- What is quality?
Quality refers to the features that make a product or service good or bad. - Who defined the five approaches to quality?
Professor David Garvin. - Who defined the eight dimensions of product quality?
David Garvin. - What is the transcendental view of quality?
It means quality cannot be defined exactly; we know it when we see it. - According to which view is quality based on customer satisfaction?
User-based view. - What is the manufacturing-based view of quality?
Quality means following design specifications correctly during production. - What does SERVQUAL stand for?
It is a model to measure service quality with five dimensions. - Name the five SERVQUAL dimensions.
Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy. - What does TQM stand for?
Total Quality Management. - What is quality management?
It means overseeing all activities to maintain excellence in products or services. - Name the four main components of quality management.
Quality planning, Quality control, Quality assurance, Quality improvement. - How many principles of quality management are there?
Eight principles. - What is the first principle of quality management?
Customer focus. - What is a quality system?
A quality system is the set of procedures an organization uses to manage quality. - What does ISO stand for?
International Organization for Standardization. - Which ISO standard describes the fundamentals of a quality management system?
ISO 9000:2000. - Which ISO standard specifies requirements for a quality management system?
ISO 9001:2000. - Which ISO standard provides guidelines for performance improvement?
ISO 9004:2000. - Give an example of a product dimension: "How long the product lasts".
Durability. - Give an example of a product dimension: "How the product looks".
Aesthetics. - Which SERVQUAL dimension means physical appearance of facilities and staff?
Tangibles. - Which SERVQUAL dimension means willingness to help customers?
Responsiveness. - Which quality principle says "Base decisions on data and information"?
Factual approach to decision making. - Which quality principle talks about involving all employees?
Involvement of people. - Find the odd one out: Tangibles, Reliability, Durability, Assurance.
Durability is odd because it is a product quality dimension, while the others are SERVQUAL (service quality) dimensions.
📌 Part B – 2/4 Marks Questions (Short Answer)
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Briefly explain the five approaches to defining quality.
- Transcendental view: Quality cannot be defined exactly; we recognize it when we see it.
- Product-based view: Quality is measurable and has specific features that can be counted.
- User-based view: Quality depends on the user's satisfaction. Whatever satisfies the customer most is high quality.
- Manufacturing-based view: Quality means following design specifications correctly during production.
- Value-based view: Quality considers both features and price. Good quality gives good value for money.
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What are the eight dimensions of product quality? (List them)
Performance, Features, Reliability, Conformance, Durability, Serviceability, Aesthetics, Perceived Quality. -
Explain any four dimensions of product quality with examples.
- Performance: How well the product does its main job. Example: A fan's main job is to give air; a high-performance fan gives strong air.
- Durability: How long the product lasts. Example: A refrigerator that works for 15 years has high durability.
- Aesthetics: How the product looks, feels, or sounds. Example: A stylish car with a beautiful design scores high on aesthetics.
- Reliability: The chance that the product will not fail. Example: A washing machine that works without breaking for 5 years is reliable.
(Any four dimensions are sufficient with simple examples)
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Explain the five SERVQUAL dimensions of service quality.
- Tangibles: Physical appearance of facilities, equipment, staff, and communication materials.
- Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service correctly and on time.
- Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide quick service.
- Assurance: Knowledge and politeness of employees that create trust and confidence.
- Empathy: Caring, individual attention given to customers.
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What is quality management? List its four main components.
Quality management means overseeing all activities needed to maintain a desired level of excellence in products or services. It is also called Total Quality Management (TQM).
Four main components:
- Quality planning: Deciding quality standards and how to achieve them.
- Quality control: Checking products/services to ensure they meet standards.
- Quality assurance: Systematic activities to ensure quality requirements will be fulfilled.
- Quality improvement: Continuous efforts to improve quality.
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List any four principles of quality management.
- Customer focus: Understand and meet customer needs, try to exceed expectations.
- Leadership: Leaders set direction and create an environment for achieving goals.
- Involvement of people: All employees should be involved and contribute.
- Process approach: Manage activities as processes for better efficiency.
- Continual improvement: Always try to improve overall performance.
- Factual approach to decision making: Base decisions on data and information.
(Any four principles are sufficient)
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What is a quality system? List the main elements of a Quality Management System (QMS).
Quality system is the set of procedures an organization uses to manage quality and ensure consistent products or services.
Main elements of a QMS:
- QMS Documentation: Written processes to ensure quality meets requirements.
- Management Responsibility: Leaders provide vision, focus on customers, set policy.
- Resource Management: Assign right people, maintain good work environment.
- Product Realization: Understand customer needs, follow specifications.
- Measurement, Analysis & Improvement: Identify problems, measure customer satisfaction.
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What is ISO? Briefly explain the ISO 9000 series.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an international body that creates quality standards. Many companies follow ISO standards to show they maintain quality.
ISO 9000 series:
- ISO 9000: Describes the basic concepts and guidelines for quality management systems.
- ISO 9001: Specifies the requirements for a quality management system.
- ISO 9004: Provides guidelines for improving performance beyond basic requirements.
📌 Part C – 6/8 Marks Questions (Long Answer)
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Explain in detail the five approaches to defining quality with examples.
Professor David Garvin described five different ways people define quality. Each approach looks at quality from a different angle.
1. Transcendental View:
- Meaning: Quality cannot be defined exactly. It is something we recognize instinctively.
- Example: When you see a beautifully crafted handmade wooden chair, you just feel it is high quality, even if you cannot explain why.
2. Product-based View:
- Meaning: Quality is measurable and has specific features that can be counted or measured. More features or higher levels of a feature mean higher quality.
- Example: A mobile phone with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM has higher quality than one with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, because these features can be measured.
3. User-based View:
- Meaning: Quality depends on the user's satisfaction. Whatever satisfies the customer most is high quality. It is subjective.
- Example: For a person who wants a simple phone for calls and messages, a basic phone has high quality. For someone who wants to play games and take photos, a smartphone with good camera has high quality.
4. Manufacturing-based View:
- Meaning: Quality means following the design specifications correctly during production. If a product is made exactly as designed, it has high quality.
- Example: A biscuit factory has a recipe and size specification. If every biscuit coming out of the factory has the exact same weight, size, and ingredients, it has high manufacturing-based quality.
5. Value-based View:
- Meaning: Quality considers both features and price. Good quality gives good value for money. A product is high quality if it provides good performance at an acceptable price.
- Example: A budget car that offers good mileage, decent features, and low maintenance cost provides high value-based quality, even if it lacks luxury features.
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Explain David Garvin's eight dimensions of product quality in detail with examples.
These eight dimensions help businesses understand what aspects of quality matter to customers.
1. Performance: How well the product does its main job.
- Example: For a television, performance means picture clarity and sound quality.
2. Features: Extra characteristics that make the product more attractive.
- Example: A car's features include a sunroof, GPS navigation, and heated seats.
3. Reliability: The chance that the product will not fail within a specific time.
- Example: A washing machine that runs daily without any problem for 5 years is highly reliable.
4. Conformance: How precisely the product meets the stated standards or specifications.
- Example: A bolt manufactured to be exactly 5mm in diameter. If every bolt measures 5mm, it has high conformance.
5. Durability: How long the product lasts (its useful life).
- Example: A pair of shoes that you wear daily and lasts for 3 years has high durability.
6. Serviceability: How quickly and easily the product can be repaired if it breaks down.
- Example: A mobile phone with easily replaceable battery and available service centers everywhere has high serviceability.
7. Aesthetics: How the product looks, feels, sounds, smells, or tastes.
- Example: A smartphone with a sleek, stylish design and premium finish scores high on aesthetics.
8. Perceived Quality: The quality image based on reputation, brand name, or advertising.
- Example: A Rolex watch is perceived as high quality because of its brand reputation, even if someone cannot technically judge its mechanics.
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Explain the five dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL) in detail with examples.
SERVQUAL is a model to measure service quality. Customers use these five dimensions to judge a service.
1. Tangibles:
- Meaning: The physical appearance of facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials.
- Example: A clean, well-decorated bank with modern ATMs and neatly dressed staff creates a good tangible impression.
2. Reliability:
- Meaning: The ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
- Example: A courier service that always delivers packages on the promised day is reliable.
3. Responsiveness:
- Meaning: The willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.
- Example: A restaurant where waiters quickly respond to your call and bring your food fast shows high responsiveness.
4. Assurance:
- Meaning: The knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence.
- Example: A pilot announcing safety measures confidently or a doctor explaining treatment clearly gives assurance to customers.
5. Empathy:
- Meaning: The caring, individualized attention the firm provides to its customers.
- Example: A hotel staff remembering a returning guest's name and room preference shows empathy.
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Explain the eight principles of quality management in detail.
These are the fundamental rules that guide an organization towards effective quality management.
1. Customer Focus: Organizations depend on their customers. Therefore, they should understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements, and strive to exceed customer expectations.
2. Leadership: Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction. They should create and maintain an environment where people can become fully involved in achieving the organization's objectives.
3. Involvement of People: People at all levels are the essence of an organization. Their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization's benefit.
4. Process Approach: A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.
5. System Approach to Management: Identifying, understanding, and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
6. Continual Improvement: Continual improvement of the organization's overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.
7. Factual Approach to Decision Making: Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information, not just on intuition.
8. Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships: An organization and its suppliers are interdependent. A mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.