The Cost of Quality

From: Quality Digest

Quality Management
Cost of Quality Revisited
by A. Blanton Godfrey

Perhaps it is time we rethought
the cost of quality concept.

Nearly 50 years ago, a new concept was introduced into quality management: the cost of quality. For many years, this concept has been used to identify opportunities for significant savings. Increasingly, though, leading quality professionals argue that the original ideas have outlived their usefulness and it is time we rethought the whole idea.

Two basic ideas have been used for these many decades. The first is the idea of an optimum quality level, which is the point when total quality costs are minimized. The second is the characterization of quality costs into four parts: prevention, appraisal, internal failure and external failure.

Cost of Quality Article


This is an illusive measure. What are the tangible aspects of the cost of quality??

Many feel it is the defect rate that comes out the end of the process. This is a true statement however can the tangable cost be driven upstream?

At what point is the defect introduced into the process. I think many recordable defects are introduced by the system as well as the people. The do not pass it on concept may be one way to detect and remove the added defect. What can we do to bring the culture to the level of in process inspection??

The employee driven kiazan can also assist in reduction of handling and systemic defects.

When will we get to this point??

What are your thoughts?