Philip B. Crosby, a renowned quality management expert, emphasized the importance of preventing defects rather than detecting and fixing them later. His philosophy centered around the concept of "doing it right the first time" (DIRFT). Here's a breakdown of his definition of quality:
* Conformance to Requirements: Crosby believed that quality is about meeting the established requirements. These requirements include both the product's technical specifications and the customer's expectations. When a product or service aligns with these requirements, it achieves quality.
* Not as Goodness: Crosby's definition focuses on objective criteria rather than subjective judgments.
Quality is not merely about being "good" but about adhering to specific standards.
* Prevention: Crosby's second absolute emphasizes prevention over appraisal. Rather than inspecting and correcting defects after they occur, organizations should proactively prevent them. Prevention involves robust processes, training, and continuous improvement.
* Zero Defects: The third absolute states that the performance standard should be zero defects relative to requirements. In other words, organizations should strive for perfection, aiming to eliminate defects entirely.
* Price of Nonconformance: The fourth absolute highlights that measuring quality involves assessing the cost of nonconformance. This cost includes rework, scrap, customer dissatisfaction, and lost opportunities.
In summary, Crosby's definition of quality emphasizes meeting requirements, preventing defects, and striving for zero defects. It aligns with the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and continuous improvement12.
: 1Philip Crosby: The Man Who Said "Quality is Free" 2Philip B. Crosby - Wikipedia

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a structured approach used to translate customer requirements into specific engineering or operational requirements through various stages of product development and process planning. It is particularly useful in resolving conflicts that arise from multiple customer requirements by prioritizing them and determining the best way to satisfy those requirements within the constraints of the organization's capabilities. QFD involves cross-functional teams and uses matrices to relate customer "wants" to "how" the organization can meet those wants, thus ensuring that customer needs are systematically integrated into the design and delivery of products and services.
: The ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence facilitates and leads team efforts to establish and monitor customer/supplier relations, supports strategic planning and deployment initiatives, and helps develop measurement systems to determine organizational improvement1. This includes employing tools like QFD to align products and services with customer needs and resolve conflicts arising from diverse customer requirements1.

Internal customer focus generally refers to the attention and service provided to the employees or departments within an organization who rely on the support of other parts of the organization to perform their duties. It's about ensuring that internal processes are designed and executed in a way that meets the needs and expectations of the next person or department in the workflow. This concept is important because it emphasizes that everyone in the organization is both a provider and a recipient of services, and that satisfying internal customers is key to achieving overall customer satisfaction.
: While I can't reference the ASQ handbook directly, the concept of internal customer focus is widely recognized in quality management and organizational excellence frameworks. It is typically associated with creating a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

A customer-driven organization places the customer at the center of its operations. Here are the key features of a customer-driven organization:
* Empowerment: Front-line associates are empowered to resolve customer problems directly. This means they have the authority and responsibility to address customer issues promptly and effectively.
Empowerment ensures quick problem resolution and enhances customer satisfaction.
* Customer-Centric Policies: Customer service policies are designed to prioritize customer needs. In this
* context, the customer service policy requiring management to respond to customer complaints within 48 hours aligns with a customer-driven approach. Timely responses demonstrate commitment to customer satisfaction.
* Continuous Improvement: Customer feedback is essential for improvement. Conducting customer surveys before making changes to services or products allows organizations to gather insights, identify areas for improvement, and align offerings with customer preferences.
* Standardized Procedures: While all departments using the same procedures to document customer complaints can promote consistency, it is not the primary feature of a customer-driven organization. The focus should be on addressing customer needs effectively.
In summary, a customer-driven organization prioritizes customer satisfaction, empowers employees, and actively seeks feedback for continuous improvement1.
References: 1: ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook, Fifth Edition