Menurut Feingenbaum dalam Yurin & Yuki (2017: 28) Pengendalian
kualitas adalah suatu teknik dan aktivitas atau tindakan yang terencana yang
dilakukan untuk mencapai, mempertahankan dan meningkatkan kualitas suatu
produk dan jasa agar sesuai dengan standar yang telah ditetapkan dan dapat
memenuhi kepuasan konsumen. Tujuan utama pengendalian kualitas adalah untuk
mendapatkan jaminan bahwa kualitas produk atau jasa yang dihasilkan sesuai
dengan standar kualitas yang telah ditetapkan dengan mengeluarkan biaya yang
ekonomis atau serendah mungkin.
Penerapan pengendalian kualitas pada perusahaan memiliki beberapa
implikasi berdasarkan pendapat menurut Heizer & Render (2017: 216) In addition
to being a critical element in operations, quality has other implications. Here are
three other reasons why quality is important:
- Company reputation: An organization can expect its reputation for quality—
be it good or bad—to follow it. Quality will show up in perceptions about the
firm’s new products, employment practices, and supplier relations. Selfpromotion is not a substitute for quality products. - Product liability: The courts increasingly hold organizations that design,
produce, or distribute faulty products or services liable for damages or injuries
resulting from their use. Legislation such as the Consumer Product Safety Act
sets and enforces product standards by banning products that do not reach
those standards. Impure foods that cause illness, nightgowns that burn, tires
that fall apart, or auto fuel tanks that explode on impact can all lead to huge
legal expenses, large settlements or losses, and terrible publicity. - Global implications: In this technological age, quality is an international, as
well as OM, concern. For both a company and a country to compete effectively
in the global economy, products must meet global quality, design, and price
expectations. Inferior products harm a firm’s profitability and a nation’s
balance of payments.