The definition of quality depends on the role of the people who define it. Most consumers have difficulty defining quality, but they know it when they see it. For example, although you probably have an opinion about which athletic shoe manufacturer offers the highest quality, you will probably find it difficult to define your quality standard in precise terms. Additionally, your friends may have different opinions about which sneakers are the highest quality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The difficulty in defining quality exists regardless of the product, and this is true for both manufacturing and service organizations. Think about how difficult it can be to define the quality of products like airline service, daycare, college courses, or even OM textbooks. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the meaning of quality has changed over time. Today, there is no universal definition of quality. Some people think of quality as “performance up to standards.” “Others see it as a way to “meet the customer’s needs” or “satisfy the customer.” Let's look at some of the most common definitions of quality. Conformance to specifications measures how well the product or service meets the objectives and tolerances determined by its designers. For example, the dimensions of a machine part may be specified by its design engineers as 3.05 inches. This would mean the target dimension is 3 inches but dimensions can vary between 2.95 and 3.05 inches. Similarly, the wait for hotel room service may be set at 20 minutes, but there may be an acceptable delay of an additional 10 minutes. Also consider the amount of light delivered by a 60 watt bulb. If the bulb delivers 50 watts it does not meet specifications. As these examples illustrate, conformance to specifications is directly measurable, although it may not be directly related to the consumer's idea of ​​quality. Fitness for purpose focuses on how well the product performs its intended function or use. For example, a Mercedes Benz and a Jeep Cherokee both meet the definition of fitness for purpose when considering transportation as the intended function. However, if the definition becomes more specific and assumes that the intended use is transportation on mountain roads and transport of fishing gear, the Jeep Cherokee has a greater suitability for the purpose. You can also see that fitness for purpose is a user-based definition in that it is intended to meet the needs of a specific user group. Value for money paid is a definition of quality that consumers often use for the usefulness of a product or service. This is the only definition that combines economics and consumption criteria; this assumes that the definition of quality is price sensitive. For example, let's say you want to enroll in a personal finance seminar and discover that the same course is offered at two different colleges at very different tuition rates. If you take the cheaper seminar, you will feel like you received better value for your money. The support services provided are often how the quality of a product or service is judged. Quality doesn't just apply to the product or service itself; it also applies to the people, processes and organizational environment associated with it. By 1960,.