1. Why quality?

The quality approach has become an essential element in the environment of any company wishing to be competitive. It is a concept that requires all company players to act with a constant concern for quality and profitability, where needs are now defined even before they arise.

To appreciate the concept of quality, it's best to start with its opposite, non-quality, and to define its costs, which are linked to malfunctions that can affect any of the company's functions. These malfunctions may concern parts consumption, raw materials, production, administration and marketing.

A company seeking to improve product quality must first reduce its non-quality costs.

Non-quality generally translates into :

• a defect: failure to meet the requirements of the intended use. This...