The Q3 category statements are operations-based definitions such as engineering, manufacturing and service - and conformance to specifications and Quality of design requirements:

• "Quality is free." or "conformance to requirement" (Philip Crosby, 1979)
• "Quality is freedom from defects [Zero Defects], imperfections or contamination."
• "Quality characteristics need to be specified and their achievement controlled, assured, improved, managed and demonstrated."

This category contains all those definitions, which can be mapped into real requirements against which the designs, design processes and the production processes will eventually be measured in order to 'verify' that the product and processes are designed correctly.

Who Is Best At Quality and Why?

Manufacturing has historically been the mainstay of controlling product Quality through Quality Control (QC) processes since the production activity of product development is usually charged with meeting preset, measurable requirements (Q3 definitions). Consequently, many tools have been developed for controlling and assuring Quality during the production phase, for example Statistical Process/Quality Control, Management Process Control, Quality Requirements, ISO 9001-2000, QS 9000, etc. These have historically been the vehicles for manufacturing to either 'test-in' Quality or verify the design during production (essentially testing or screening for bad product).

Marketing has historically been the champion of general Quality criteria (mostly Q1 feel-good and some Q2 definitions) and the manager of anecdotal evidence of the results. Even though the Quality efforts of marketing are not always verifiable, they have brought Quality to the attention of the corporate audience.

Product engineering has been the least effective in 'doing' Quality. It's not just necessary to write specifications for, and talk about Quality - but it's critical to describe the Quality aspects of the product and verify them before the design moves into production; if the Quality requirements are not tangible, then there is no need to actively worry about it. This indifference is the major factor that forces manufacturing to test-in Quality and verify design breaches during production. Many major manufacturers and some midsize manufacturers do use Design for Quality & Reliability (DfQR) and other Quality design techniques, but many midsize and small companies (especially start-ups and contract design firms) use little, if any, Quality methodologies in their processes or designs.