Defects cost more than prevention. Quality management is the coordinated set of activities that ensure products and services meet defined requirements and customer expectations.

It includes quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. Standards, inspection, statistical process control, and root-cause analysis are common tools. Responsibility for quality sits with everyone who affects the product, not only a separate inspection department.

Organizations that build quality into processes spend less on rework and warranty. Those that rely on end-of-line inspection alone discover problems late. Customer perception of quality ultimately decides whether specifications were sufficient.

• Activities ensuring products meet requirements
• Covers planning, control, assurance, and improvement
• Embeds responsibility across the value chain
• Reduces cost of poor quality over time