Quality Control and Assurance
One faulty product can cost a business a customer for life. Learn the difference between checking quality at the end and building it in at every stage, and why quality is worth the effort.
Revise this, the fun way
Play it interactively, earn XP and build a streak, free.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Getting it right 🏭
A single faulty product can cost a business a **customer for life**, plus the cost of putting it right. Managing **quality** is how firms keep products and services good enough. There are two main ways to do it, and this module compares them.
Words to know 🔑
Four terms run through this module:
Two ways to manage quality ⚖️
Both aim for good quality, but they work at **different points** in the process.
Check at the end 🎯
What is quality control?
- Checking finished products for faults at the end
- Building quality in at every stage
- Ignoring customer complaints
- Always setting the highest price
Match each term to its meaning 🔗
- Quality
- Quality control
- Quality assurance
- Fit for purpose
- Meeting the standards customers expect
- Inspecting products at the end of production
- Building quality in at every stage
- Doing the job it was designed to do
Why quality pays ⭐
Good quality **controls costs** by cutting waste and returns, and it **protects reputation** so customers stay loyal. It also gives a **competitive advantage**: a business known for quality can win more customers, and sometimes charge a higher price.
What good quality brings ✅
Select the TWO benefits of good quality for a business.
- Fewer returns and less waste
- A stronger reputation with customers
- Higher spending on faulty goods
- Losing customers to rivals
Work out the reject rate 🔢
An interactive activity.
Match each result of quality to its benefit 🔀
- Less waste
- Fewer returns
- A good reputation
- Reliably high quality
- Lower production costs
- Happier customers and lower costs
- More customers choose the brand
- A competitive advantage over rivals
When quality slips 📉
An interactive activity.
Quality in words 🧩
Quality means meeting the standards that _____ expect. With quality _____, faults are caught by checking products at the end. With quality _____, quality is built in at every stage to prevent faults. Good quality lowers costs by cutting _____ and returns, and gives a business a competitive _____ over its rivals.
Spot the true statements 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Control or assurance? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Explain and justify ✍️
An interactive activity.