What do we Mean by Quality

This book is about quality in the analytical chemistry laboratory, but what do we mean by quality It is easier to understand when dealing with various products, e.g. cars or clothes. All successful manufacturers have to produce goods that they can sell. Car manufacturers will have a range of products to suit their customers needs. They will all be made to a high standard so that they comply with legislation however, they will be aimed at people with different needs. You can compare this with an analytical laboratory. Analytical chemists produce results that are passed on to someone else (the customer) who will use them to solve a problem. The laboratory is providing a service. 

What do you think quality means in terms of the results obtained in the analytical laboratory  

Quality in this context is not necessarily getting the most accurate results - it is matching the service with the requirements of the customer. This is achieved by providing results that  

List the factors you think need to be considered to ensure that you provide a customer with results of acceptable quality. 

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