Answers of Creating World Class Quality Standards

Case 1

1. What do you understand by the terms quality in relation to a product you buy?

Answer – Quality is a measure of excellence or state of being free from defects, deficiency & significant variations. It often focuses on world class standards, products & service design. Quality is measured by the degree of conformance to predetermined specifications and standards, and deviations from these standards can lead to poor quality and low reliability.

When we buy a high-quality product it well satisfies our preferences and expectations. This consideration can include a number of characteristics, some of which contribute little or nothing to the functionality of the product but are significant in providing customer satisfaction. A third view relating to quality is to consider the product itself as a system and to incorporate those characteristics that pertain directly to the operation and functionality of the product.

2. What is the BSI Kitemark? How might this help you to choose a product to purchase?

Answer: The Kitemark is a UK product and service quality certification mark which is owned and operated by The British Standards Institution (BSI Group).

The Kitemark is most frequently used to identify products where safety is paramount, such as crash helmets, smoke alarms and flood defences. In recent years the Kitemark has also been applied to a range of services, such as electrical installations; car servicing and accident repair; and window installations.

When you see a product with a Kitemark this means BSI has independently tested it and has confirmed that the product conforms to the relevant British Standard, and has issued a BSI license to the company to use the Kitemark. The manufacturer pays for this service and their product is tested, and the manufacturing process is assessed, at regular intervals.

The Kitemark is the symbol that gives consumers the assurance that the product they have bought really does conform to the...