The assertion that "there is no such thing as a high-quality product" is false. While the perception and measurement of quality can be subjective and complex, high-quality products demonstrably exist and are crucial for business success and customer satisfaction [1] [2] [3].

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Quality, in a broad sense, is defined as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements [4]. This implies that a product's quality is determined by how well it satisfies client needs and desires [4]. While individual perceptions of quality can vary, objective criteria and standards exist to measure it [5]. For instance, in manufacturing, quality can be assessed by the number of defects, while in services, it can be measured by customer satisfaction and response time [5].

Several common myths surrounding quality, particularly in product development and management, often lead to the misconception that high quality is unattainable or not a priority:

• Quality is solely the responsibility of a specific department (e.g., QA): This is a pervasive myth. Quality should be an integral part of every stage of product development, from planning and design to deployment [6] [7]. In a well-run company, "true quality" is embraced across all functional areas, not just by the Quality Assurance (QA) department [7]. Engineers, for example, play a crucial role in ensuring product safety and effectiveness through diligent design controls and documentation [7].
• Quality assurance is expensive: While there might be an initial investment, quality assurance can actually save businesses money in the long run by reducing costly mistakes, preventing product recalls, and improving customer satisfaction [5] [8]. Cost-effective measures like regular employee training and thorough documentation can significantly strengthen QA processes [5].
• Quality assurance begins only after development is complete: This is inaccurate. Integrating QA practices throughout the entire product lifecycle, from the very beginning, allows for early identification and resolution of issues, preventing more expensive fixes later [5] [6].
• Quality stifles innovation and makes processes rigid: A well-implemented Quality Management System (QMS) actually promotes continuous improvement and provides a structured framework for innovation [1] [9]. It balances disciplined approaches with the flexibility needed for creativity, especially with modern configurable workflows [1].
• High-quality products sell themselves: In today's competitive market, even excellent products require effective marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and customer engagement strategies to gain visibility and build trust [10]. Brands like Apple and Nike, despite having high-quality products, heavily invest in marketing and branding to maintain their market presence and connect with their audience [10].
• Quality is subjective and cannot be measured: While customer perception is a factor, quality can be measured using objective criteria, standards, and metrics [5] [4]. Tools like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES) serve as proxy metrics to gauge customer happiness, providing signals for further analysis and improvement [4]. Internal quality, such as code maintainability, can also be assessed through metrics like cyclomatic complexity and test coverage, though these also require careful interpretation [4].
• QMS creates extra work or requires excessive paperwork: While quality processes involve documentation and measurement, modern QMS software streamlines these tasks through automation, mobile apps, and collaborative online tools, significantly reducing manual effort and paperwork [1] [9].
• Adding more features guarantees user satisfaction: Product management focuses on delivering crucial features that address user pain points effectively, rather than simply adding a large quantity of features [11]. It's about striking a balance between quality and the time it takes to solve user problems [11].

Ultimately, high-quality products are those that consistently meet or exceed customer expectations, are reliable, durable, and provide value [12]. Investing in quality, though it may have an initial cost, leads to long-term benefits such as increased customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, reduced rework, and higher profitability [1] [5] [9] [12].

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