Calculate your potential savings with our ROI Calculator
ROI Calculator
Defining "quality" has never been straightforward. It seems like an easy word, but as soon as you attempt to lay your hands on it, you realize how fleeting it is. Quality to one is doing just enough to qualify; quality to another is surpassing expectations. The twist is that what is "high-quality" to one person may not be so for another. A high-end car consumer, for instance, might define quality as comfort and workmanship, while a buyer looking for a budget-friendly car would look at durability and gas mileage. They are both right—because quality is always contextual.
Why defining "quality" has always been a challenge
In short terms, quality is not a fixed definition—it's a dynamic term that changes with human needs, technology, and expectations.
Aristotle's perspective
The earliest origins of quality are in Aristotle, who lived over 2,000 years ago.
To him, quality wasn't an issue of production quantities or customer satisfaction—it was a philosophical concept. Aristotle stated that quality was one of the "categories" of being, something which described the properties of a thing. That is to say, quality was the property which made it what it was. For example, the sharpness of a knife or the sweetness of honey defined its quality. Abstract as it is, this opened the door to later thought: quality is linked with inherent properties and not with mere personal opinion.
Early philosophic roots of quality
These early perspectives may appear far from today's factories and business institutions, but they refer us to an underlying reality: quality has always existed beyond mere performance measures. It is a question of meaning, purpose, and the way that people approach the world around them.
The Industrial Revolution was a turning point in what society thought of as quality. With mass production and machines revolutionizing industries, quality moved from being an amorphous idea to a utilitarian imperative. Repeatability, efficiency, and consistency were now the pillars. Two pioneers—Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford—defined quality for the time.
Frederick Taylor (Scientific Management)
Taylor, who was most commonly known as the "Father of Scientific Management," believed that efficiency powered quality. Time-and-motion analysis was introduced by him to dissect work processes and eliminate waste. In his opinion, quality was maintained through:
Though criticized for reducing workers to machines, Taylor's philosophy opened the door to organized quality control.
Henry Ford's perspective on quality and efficiency
Ford took Taylor's ideas one step further with his famous assembly line. Quality to him meant producing reliable cars in numbers without being costly. His plan rested on:
During this period, quality shifted from abstract ideals to measurable outcomes—a trend which still characterizes companies today.
The 20th century saw the paradigm change in how people viewed quality. Not simply efficiency or consistency, the visionary leaders associated quality with customer needs, continuous improvement, and organizational culture. There were a few pioneers who shaped modern quality management, and each left a lasting definition that still guides companies today.
Deming believed quality was all about meeting customer needs today and in the future. Statistical methods and continuous improvement (his famous PDCA cycle—Plan, Do, Check, Act) were his priorities. To Deming, quality wasn't just a matter of products; it involved systems, leadership, and culture as well.
Juran has defined quality as fitness for use, i.e., a product or service must function in its purpose. His approach stressed the customer's perspective: if it doesn't meet their needs, it isn't quality—no matter how well it was made.
Crosby believed that quality is all about doing things right the first time. If requirements are well-defined and fulfilled consistently, then the outcome is quality. He was world-renowned for his advocacy of zero defects.
Feigenbaum stressed that quality is not a department but rather something to be accomplished as an organizational activity. He popularized the term Total Quality Control, calling companies to task to make everyone with whom they worked in quality management.
Ishikawa brought utilitarian tools like cause-and-effect diagrams, but importantly, he redirected the quality focus toward the customer. For him, long-term success was all about making the customer satisfied.
Together, these thinkers removed quality from production—turning it into a philosophy of people, processes, and customer expectations.
Today, in the contemporary world, quality is broader than ever. No longer is it confined to the production line—it is now found in healthcare, software, life sciences, and even customer service. Definitions today reflect this diversity and highlight adaptability in an evolving environment.
ISO defines quality as the degree to which a given set of inherent attributes satisfies requirements. It is a technical but realistic definition that emphasizes the fact that quality means meeting stated standards on a repeat basis.
ASQ defines quality as both the characteristics of a product or service that are applicable to its capacity to meet expressed or expected needs and a product or service that is not lacking. The definition unites customer focus and prevention of defects.
Quality is similarly linked in today's business with customer loyalty and brand trust. Companies know that a single misstep can spread like wildfire across social media outlets and ruin reputations. Quality today is therefore not merely control—it's creating long-term value and trust.
Qualityze defines quality not as a static outcome or a mere compliance checklist, but as a strategic, data-driven, and proactive culture of excellence that is intrinsically linked to business performance and risk management. It is a continuous state of control and improvement across all operational processes. In essence, the Qualityze definition of quality can be distilled into a simple equation:
Quality = (Proactive Risk Mitigation + Uncompromising Compliance) × Operational Efficiency
This is achieved through a connected ecosystem of processes that empowers a culture of continuous improvement.
This definition moves beyond "meeting specifications" to "building a resilient, efficient, and superior-performing organization that is always in control and always improving."
While philosophers, engineers, and corporate executives alike have all attempted to define quality in their own terms, there are a few shared similarities among their perceptions. The following themes give us better insight into what "quality" really is through history and across different industries.
Customer-centricity
Irrespective of the era, the customer's perspective is always at center stage. From "fitness for use" by Juran to the emphasis on satisfaction by Ishikawa, quality always leads back to the question of whether or not the end-user finds value in the product or service.
Consistency and conformance
Crosby was all about compliance with specifications, and ISO continues to demand the requirement for standards. The idea is simple here: reliability breeds trust. If you provide the same performance every time, customers learn to trust your firm.
Continuous improvement
PDCA cycle by Deming and Total Quality Control by Feigenbaum are both reminders that quality is never "finished." It is a never-ending process. Improvement on an ongoing basis keeps organizations from stagnating but growing to address evolving needs.
Value creation
Finally, all these definitions link quality to the creation of value—whatever that may be for customers, firms, or society. An excellent product or service improves lives, creates loyalty, and promotes long-term success.
So, although wording varies, the idea is the same: quality is about providing consistent value, customer-focused, while continuously improving.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to quality. What is “quality” actually depends significantly on the type of product or service and sector concerned. The contexts of these should be able to explain why there are more than one definition and also why companies must vary their quality strategies.
Product quality vs. service quality
Tangible vs. intangible aspects of quality
Any upscale hotel can provide both—tangible comfort (comfortable beds, good food) and intangible warmth (friendly service).
In industries such as pharmaceuticals or medical devices, quality is a question of life and death. It's not merely a case of satisfying customer requirements but also maintaining stringent guidelines in order to ensure safety and efficiency. Quality in this context is determined by stringent testing, documentation, and compliance with international standards such as FDA or GMP.
Different scenarios prove one thing: quality is always context-dependent and based on expectations.
The Digital Age and the Evolution of Quality
The digital age has redefined "quality" for us. No longer tied to shop floors or hand processes, quality now extends into automation, data-driven systems, and technology-based customer experiences. It is an era as much about speed and adaptability as precision.
AI, automation, and smart quality systems
Now, quality is not merely about how well something works—it's about how it feels. A buggy app, a missed deadline, or subpar online service can harm brand trust overnight. Indeed, research from PwC discovered that 32% of consumers would cease to do business with a brand they loved following a single negative experience.
Quality in this age of technology cannot be dissociated with customer expectations, convenience, and trust. Those companies that leverage technology to deliver regular, positive experiences stand out in over-saturated markets.
If anything, history has taught us that no one definition of quality fits every situation. The reason why there are different definitions is that organizations, industries, and even cultures define quality differently—and that is indeed a strength, not a weakness.
How organizations interpret and apply different definitions
Choosing the right definition, firms associate quality with their unique goals and challenges.
Not every organization needs the same approach. A pharmaceutical company that is highly regulated will have an entirely different focus compared to a startup developing customer-facing applications. The answer lies in:
Ultimately, having more than one definition allows for flexibility. It allows companies to expand, mature, and prosper without being locked into a single definition of quality.
Over the centuries, quality has changed—sometimes remarkably so—depending on the situation. From Aristotle's ethereal concepts of attributes, through Taylor's emphasis on efficiency, and up to contemporary pioneers such as Deming and Juran, who tied quality to systems and customer requirements, each has contributed to our knowledge.
Today, we can see that quality is no one, monolithic fact. Instead, it's a many-sided idea shaped by:
What connects all these definitions is the awareness that quality must be tailored. Organizations that approach quality as a philosophy and not something to tick on a checklist are the ones that thrive. They don't just meet needs; they integrate their quality philosophy into their objectives, culture, and customers.
As we move further into the digital era, quality is now a product characteristic—it's a driver of customer loyalty, reputation, and business success. The message is plain and simple: all the various definitions aside, the meaning of quality is about delivering value consistently and looking to improve constantly, always thinking about the customer.
Author
Qualityze Editorial is the unified voice of Qualityze, sharing expert insights on quality excellence, regulatory compliance, and enterprise digitalization. Backed by deep industry expertise, our content empowers life sciences and regulated organizations to navigate complex regulations, optimize quality systems, and achieve operational excellence.
