Armand Feigenbaum is credited as an original thinker relative to quality costs—namely, the four quality costs of prevention, appraisal, internal and external. Regardless of cost of quality and cost of poor quality, the “C” is the operative word. It is a cost and perceived as a nonvalue-add cost. Perception frequently can change reality from one person to another. Quality costs used to be a quick-and-easy conversation. Details aside, quality costs should be focused on and reduced to improve an organization’s profitability.
Read more in “Six Sigma Solutions: Avoiding Apathy.”