ABSTRACT
A system that provides quality products to customers must be all-inclusive, in the sense that concern for quality begins with product design, proceeds through production, inspection, and testing, and provides assurance that only good products are shipped to the customer. An extended aspect of such a system involves extensive feedback, whereby customer reactions to the product are reviewed by design engineering, production and marketing, with the aim of effecting continuing improvements over time to maintain and enhance the firm's quality reputation and market position. This type of all-inclusive, integrated approach towards quality has been coined "total quality control" by industrial consultant A. V. Feigenbaum and is based on his experience while working for the General Electric Company. He defines it as follows:
"Quality" of course must be defined in terms of its relation to selling price and manufacturing costs, and improvements in this area are generally in terms of an enhanced quality/cost ratio of products brought to the market place.
