What Is Quality?

Perhaps it’s not what you think.

Most people think "quality" means catching defects or passing inspections. But there is a deeper, more strategic view — one rooted in culture, consistency, and customer satisfaction.

Let’s take a closer look.

According to ISO 9000:2015, quality is defined this way;

“The quality of an organization is the degree to which the inherent characteristics of the organization fulfill the needs and expectations of its customers and other interested parties, in order to achieve sustained success.”

What does that actually mean?

Note the emphasis on three key elements:

• Inherent characteristics — the mindset, structure, and culture of your organization.

• Fulfilling the needs and expectations of customers and stakeholders — a focus on value, not just compliance.

• Sustained success — achieved through consistency, repeatability, and continuous improvement.

Notice there is no mention of product or service and nothing to suggest that quality is achieved by inspection, test, statistical process control, or any other product/service specific action. Why is this?

The Deming Connection

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, embedded in ISO 9001, is directly inspired by W. Edwards Deming, one of the great minds behind modern quality management.

Here are some of his most important principles, still relevant today:

• Build Quality into the Design

If your design is flawed, no amount of inspection can fix it. Poor design leads to poor execution — especially in your supply chain — and creates a chain reaction of mediocrity.

• Eliminate the Need for Mass Inspection

 The goal isn’t more checking — it’s better process control. If your process is capable and consistent, inspection becomes validation, not discovery.

•  Minimize Total Cost — by Eliminating Waste

 Reducing costs is smart — but cutting arbitrarily to hit a number isn't. Real savings come from reducing rework, defects, downtime, and inefficiency.

• Build Strong Supplier Relationships

 Deming advised moving toward single suppliers to build trust and shared success. That may not work for every scenario, but the principle holds: partner with your suppliers so they succeed too, don’t just contract them.

• Improve Systems Constantly

 Always be looking for improvement opportunities. Prioritize them. Act. Then do it again. That’s the PDCA cycle in motion.

•  Institute On-the-Job Training

If your culture values “doing the right thing right the first time,” then continuous, structured training is an investment — not overhead.

• Practice Real Leadership

Leadership isn’t just about authority — it’s about vision, guidance, and enabling others. Every level of the organization should foster leadership — not just management.

• Measure the Process, Not Just the People

Errors usually come from broken systems, not broken people. Focus on improving the process, and you’ll unlock better results and more engaged employees.

• Remove Barriers to Pride in Workmanship

Ask yourself: Are your employee’s creative contributors to success, or just biological machines running tasks? People want to care — let them.

• Treat Everyone Fairly and Equitably

Deming emphasized understanding psychology — people aren’t interchangeable parts. Effective leadership includes empathy, equity, and effective communication and these things separate leadership from supervision.

So, What Is Quality?

It’s not inspection. It’s not a checklist. It’s not a department.

Consider the words of another great:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

Quality is a habit. A culture. A mindset. It’s built into systems, sustained by leadership, and driven by purpose.

So, ask yourself: Is quality a part of your organization's habit — or just a goal you chase when something goes wrong?