Importance of Product Quality
The reception a product receives when it first enters the marketplace is a crucial factor for product success. Negative quality feedback, such as high warranty or customer complaints are often disastrous for new products. However, it is this introductory period where product quality is at its most variable. This is because the product design and its manufacture has not had chance to stabilise and benefit from market feedback and production experience. Therefore, does not display the same quality levels as established products.
Introduction to the Dimensions of Quality
There are many dimensions to product quality, such as craftsmanship and conformance to specifications which need to be understood. The impact that each of these dimensions of quality has is dependant on the market that the product is competing in. In developing countries where product quality is variable, freedom from defects and good reliability are very important new products. In developed markets, where product reliability and conformance to specification is high, because of the competition other factors become important to the customer. These quality dimensions are related to product appeal, attention to detail, desirability and functionality. Therefore quality perception becomes a subjective issue where a product serves a multitude of customer needs.
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