What are Quality Standards?

Quality standards are defined as documents that provide requirements, specifications,

guidelines, or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products,
processes, and services are fit for their purpose.

Standards provide organizations with the shared vision, understanding, procedures, and
vocabulary needed to meet the expectations of their stakeholders. Because standards present
precise descriptions and terminology, they offer an objective and authoritative basis for
organizations and consumers around the world to communicate and conduct business.

Who Uses Quality Standards?

Organizations turn to standards for guidelines, definitions, and procedures that help
them achieve objectives such as:
• Satisfying their customers’ quality requirements
• Ensuring their products and services are safe
• Complying with regulations
• Meeting environmental objectives
• Protecting products against climatic or other adverse conditions
• Ensuring that internal processes are defined and controlled

Use of quality standards is voluntary but may be expected by certain groups of

stakeholders. Additionally, some organizations or government agencies may require suppliers
and partners to use a specific standard as a condition of doing business.
Why Are Standards Important?

For businesses: Standards are important to the bottom line of every organization. Successful
companies recognize standards as business tools that should be managed alongside quality,
safety, intellectual property, and environmental policies. Standardization leads to lower costs by
reducing redundancy, minimizing errors or recalls, and reducing time to market.

For the global economy: Businesses and organizations complying to quality standards helps
products, services, and personnel cross borders and also ensures that products manufactured
in one country can be sold and used in another.

For consumers: Many quality management standards provide safeguards for users of products
and services, but standardization can also make consumers’ lives simpler. A product or service
based on an international standard will be compatible with more products or services worldwide,
which increases the number of choices available across the globe.

Characteristic of Materials Used in Specific Projects

The student must relate material properties to product and process quality. These are
the factors that must be taken into consideration when choosing the right material for their
components and assemblies:

1. Selection of Materials -It is a step in the process of designing any physical object. In the
context of product design, the main goal of material selection is to minimize cost while meeting
product performance goals. Systematic selection of the best material for a given application
begins with properties and costs of candidate materials. Material selection is often benefited
using material index or performance index relevant to the desired material properties.
For example:
• HP brand for printer
• Intel brand for Computer Hardware

2. Testing Material - It is the determination of the technological and operational properties of

materials, primarily using machines and instruments. Materials are tested for diverse purposes:
to determine the properties of the raw material, to check quality at intermediate stages in
production processes, to check finished products, and to aid research. Mechanical, physical,
and chemical methods are used to study the properties of materials. Destructive methods
damage or destroy the object of the tests; nondestructive ones permit further use of the object.

3. Material Cost – It is the cost of materials used to manufacture a product or provide a service.
Excluded from the material cost is all indirect materials, such as cleaning supplies used in the
production process. Follow these steps to determine the amount of material cost to assign to a
unit of production (such as a completed finished goods item):
1. Ascertain the standard quantity of the material used to manufacture one unit.
2. Add the standard amount of scrap associated with manufacturing one unit.
 3. Determine the standard amount of scrap associated with setting up the production run
and apportion it to the individual unit.
4. If any scrap is then sold, apportion the revenue back to the individual unit.

The characteristics of common materials for increased security is also a great factor
in the design and planning process. Evaluation of longevity criteria and assessment of site
environmental factors are vital to project planning.
Specific knowledge about the project and general common sense must dictate design
and material selection. Although many materials can offer enhanced protection, often the most
cost-efficient and readily available material that provides reasonable life expectancy for the
project must be considered.
Before planning and designing takes place, you should evaluate the material options and
system requirements. Teachers should add several useful reference manuals to their libraries
such as installation of hardware, networking, troubleshooting as well as basic PC Operation and
Internet for additional information that the students may use in their projects.

The characteristics of the materials to be used for specific project must be:
 of good quality - This is the most important factor when choosing materials to buy.
Products with good quality are long-lasting and safe to use because you know that it
follows certain standards before being commercialized.
 reliable - It means that you can be sure that it will perform its function well, will operate
safely and will give the best it could give.
 suitable for the application/purposes - Choose the materials which are very necessary to
make the project possible. Making a list of products/materials to buy is a good trait of a
wise consumer. Products which are not to be used must be crossed out.
 low cost - It does not mean that you will choose for the less expensive one and exclude
the quality. Low cost means you can afford to buy the materials without hurting your
pocket and assure of better quality.

Fault Identification and Reporting

These are the things to be considered when:

A. Receiving Materials:
1. Match the packing slip to the items received and ensures that the materials are destined
on tour department.
2. That you are receiving the materials indicated on the purchase order regarding quantity
and discount.
3. That the materials are in acceptable condition.
4. That terms regarding installation and/or set up of equipment are met.

B. Receiving Reports Whenever goods are received:

1. The person receiving the goods must document, using the administrative software, that
all goods were received for each requisition before any payment can be made to the
vendor.