Dimension of Quality
There are eight dimensions of quality to link customer requirements to engineering design.
Performance
Refers to the primary operating characteristics of the product or service; they are usually measurable, e.g., miles per gallon, number of rooms, baths etc. in a house.
Features
Additional characteristics that enhance the product’s or service’s appeal to the user, e.g., deluded ink used for news paper, glare-reducing coatings on bulbs.
Reliability
The likehood that a product will not fail within a specific time period, e.g., services that guarantee mail delivery (certified mail, etc).
Conformance
The precision with which the product or service meets the specified standards. Approaches such as using pre-specified tolerance limits.
Durability
Measures the length of a product’s life, e.g., shelf life of food products, light bulbs. When a product can be repaired, estimating durability is more complicated.
Serviceability
The speed with which the product can be put into service when it breaks down, as well as the competence and behavior of the service person. The speed of service can be measured by response time and mean time to repair.
Aesthetic
The subjective dimension indicating the kind of response a user has to a product. It represents the individual’s personal preference o the ways an individual responds to the look, feel, sound, taste and smell.
Perceived quality
Also a subjective dimension; it is the quality attributed to goods or service based on indirect measures. Inferring the quality of an airline by the cleanliness of the flip-down tray. Well maintained tools and an immaculate workplace may indicate a good workman.
Dimension of Quality
