Meaning of Quality Marketing
| The age of today is the age of quality. The producers have become aware to produce quality goods or services in order to get success in competition. Quality is such a factor which increases costs if quality is increased, whereas quality declines if production cost is decreased. So, balance should be maintained in production cost and quality. |
The sum of features and utilities of any goods is called quality. The quality of goods satisfies the consumers' wants. Reliable service, long lastingness, favorableness, workmanship, aesthetics, composition etc. are the qualities of products. Quality of all goods does not become same. Different goods of different qualities are produced according to the needs, wants, interest and purchasing power of the customers.
Goods of different quality may be produced to meet the same need. Different writers and scholars of marketing have defined quality; the important definitions among them are given as follows:
According to Dr. R. Spriegal, "The quality of a product may be defined as the sum of a number of related characteristics, such as shape, dimensions, composition, strength, workmanship adjustment, finishing, and color."
According to American Society of Quality Control, "Quality is the total of features and characteristics of a product or services that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs."
Hence, it becomes clear that quality of product is the sum of characteristics inherent in it. Cost, performance, reliability, workmanship, long-lasting, aesthetics etc. are the aspects of quality. Strategic commitment, involvement of employees, quality of products, technology, quantity, methods etc. affect quality of any product.
Related Topic:
Concept of Quality and Total Quality Management (TQM)
To implement the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) in marketing is called quality marketing. This plays an important role to satisfy customers. Decision on how to implement the decisions taken to increase the quality of product or service should also be taken. Quality of goods is the very important issue being faced by the sum of efforts made by an organization to increase quality of products or services. TQM pays special attention towards satisfying customers. Quality circle, training, customers' views, strategic role, bench marking, statistical tools, technology use etc. increase quality. Strategic commitment, employee involvement, quality materials, new technology, improved method, group effort etc. are the major elements of quality marketing. In the absence of such elements quality marketing becomes impossible.
In conclusion, the sum of characteristics and utility of the goods or services is called quality. To implement the concept of Total Quality Management in marketing is called quality marketing. So, quality marketing makes efforts to increase the quality of the goods or services. It also denotes the quality of goods or services, quality of distribution and distribution channel and quality of after sale services. Quality marketing uses different tools to increase quality of products or services.
Tools for Quality Marketing
Quality marketing is customer oriented concept. It gives priority to customers' satisfaction. Goods or services as wanted and desired by the customers should be made available at right place, at reasonable price and at right time to satisfy the customers. This is the main philosophy of quality marketing. The main tools for quality marketing are as follows:-
1. Quality circle
The quality circle is also called quality control circle. Quality circle is an important tool of marketing. This was developed in Japan in 1960s with a view to providing suggestion to the high level management. Quality circle is the group of employees working in same organization. Such group may consist of 5 to 12 members. This group works regularly to increase quality of the product. As experts of different subjects are involved in such group, it becomes very effective. The group members know the method of solving any problem, methods of using technology and method of performing any work in group with responsibilities. So, the quality circle is the group of employees who get together, hold regular discussions on the quality related issues, find out reasons, recommend solution and take reformative steps. The working process of this group becomes stepwise. Identifying problems, selecting problems, analyzing problems and recommending the right solution is as a whole the working process of quality circle.
2. Training
Responsibility for quality improvement should not be left on any single person or single department. All the persons involved in the organization should be active and involved in it. All the employees from chief executives to the lower level workers should know about the quality of products, and all of them should be committed to achieve it. For this regular training should be given to the employees. Quality is compulsory for success. All the employees should know the necessary conditions for quality and should be given knowledge how it can be achieved. What is quality? Why is it necessary? How can quality be achieved? Who are responsible for maintaining or increasing quality? All such things should be made known to the employees through training.
3. Consumers' ideas
Quality of products or services is for consumers. So, the quality should be as expected by the consumers. They are wise and rational. They know everything about goods or services. Their help becomes very important in developing new product, adding new characteristics to any products. So, their ideas should be collected, analyzed and quality of goods should be produced accordingly. Various ideas of many consumers should be collected and the best idea should be implemented to maintain the quality standard, and make qualitative improvement in any product compared to competitors' products. As a result, the products become marketable.
4. Strategic role
The other important tool of quality marketing is strategic role. The marketers should get the opportunity to play strategic role to make quality goods. If such role is not available, the function of quality remains limited in papers. Quality should be in goods but not in advertisement. The marketers should make goods or services qualitative playing strategic goal.
5. Statistical tools
The measurement of the quality of goods or services is its level and regularity. Quality has different levels. They should not be distorted but be maintained regularly. If high quality goods have been supplied to markets once, quality of the same goods should not be decreased later on. So, statistical tools can be used for giving regularity to the quality. If quality has been regularly maintained, the customers feel satisfied. As a result, organizational success can be achieved.
6. Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of learning how other firms do exceptionally high quality things. If any competitor has produced high class goods and has given regularity, the process of learning their method and imitating them is called benchmarking. The concepts of benchmarking are simple and easy. From this good method of others can be learnt and used.
Requirement for Quality Marketing
Quality marketing is the demand of time. Strategic commitment, involvement of employees, quality materials, new technology, improved method and group efforts are needed for quality marketing.
1. Strategic commitment
Strategic commitment is a necessary element of quality marketing. Top level management should be strategically committed to producing quality goods. Such commitment brings changes in the culture of organization to adopt the quality as its goal, not as an ideal. As a result, there comes stability and regularity in the quality of goods or services.
2. Employees' involvement
The other important element of quality marketing is the involvement of employees. Quality is not a responsibility of any single person or department; it is the result of group efforts and commitment of all the employees working in the same organization. So, all the employees should remain effortful to produce quality goods. Considering this fact, the top level management should involve all the employees in the campaign or mission for quality production.
3. Quality materials
Quality cannot be achieved only through involvement of employees and strategic commitment. For this quality materials are also needed. If the input materials are of low quality, final goods also become of low quality. So, quality materials should be used to maintain quality of any products.
4. New technology
New technology is found improved every time. So, it becomes necessary to produce quality goods. The quality of the goods produced by using new and high technology becomes uniform and has reliability. US auto and Electric Firm has invested much amount in developing new technology to enhance quality.
5. Improved method
Quality cannot achieve only strategic commitment, employees' involvement, quality materials and new technology. For this improved method is also needed. The process of production becomes flexible in improved method. It should be easy to change according to the changes of environment.
6. Group effort
Evolvement as well as commitment of all employees becomes essential to increase quality and maintain regularity in quality. A group should be formed involving the persons who are able to solve problem, use new technology, use statistical tools and work in group. This group is called quality control circle. Such group can be formed involving employees from different departments. The group is given special rights and responsibilities for quality control. This group works to maintain quality, promote it and keep regularity. So, group effort is compulsory for quality marketing.
You may also like to read:
No comments:
Post a Comment