Title: Industry and government strategies for product quality

Authors: Gregory Tassey

Addresses: Senior Economist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Admin 1002, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA

Abstract: Quality in manufactured products is a combination of performance levels, performance stability, reliability and longevity. Advancing any or all of these elements of quality requires a range of technological, organizational and marketing changes. Specific technical solutions cannot be effectively conceived and implemented in isolation from the broader system of production and servicing of targeted markets. This implies a trend towards integration of research and development, production and marketing. Moreover, an increasing proportion of technical solutions will have to come from outside the corporate entity, as will information on the broader technological and market trends. Much of the responsibility for removing barriers to improving quality has been correctly placed on the shoulders of corporate management, and major changes in corporate strategy and management lie ahead. However, significant improvements will be required in the performances of government policy and the technological infrastructure in general. Because timing of the commercialization is ever more important, these three sectors will have to increase their cooperation as well as their individual performances.

Keywords: product quality; procurement policies; government support; quality strategies; technology infrastructure; quality management; government policy; technology management; technology commercialisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1989.026035

International Journal of Technology Management, 1989 Vol.4 No.2, pp.189 - 203

Published online: 26 May 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article