The qualities of manufacturing and economic quality

The purpose of this article is to define quality and distinguish clearly between quality in manufacturing and a number of ‘economic’ approaches to quality. These definitions and their distinction is needed to clarify the application of tools commonly used in quality management. The recent growth of quality control and total quality management have spear-headed a spirit of managerial integration, which has brought quality to an unprecedented awareness. It is thus necessary to first appreciate what quality is in order to devise a language regarding quality which can be shared.