Quality Performance Measurement

Measuring could be done Qualitatively or Quantitatively. Anything can be measured by evaluating the related factors & respective attributes. Considering various related attributes we can monitor the Service quality. Attributes needs to be measured to get the quality. Quality measurement is concerned with the observed value for some service attributes & then by comparing these values against standards, it is possible to get the quality status of respective product or process.

A number of large companies have introduced the quality metrics for improving the quality management processes. In general by collecting metrics on several attributes and defects, the entire Quality Management Process can be improved because metrics may help to identify the strong & weak attributes. By improving the weak area(s) companies can improve the quality.

Companies can set objectives for their whole operation, or they can set quality objectives in a number of areas. These areas are

• product or service quality
• cost
• speed
• dependability
• flexibility

A metric is a type of measurement, which relates to a system, process or related documentation. The use of systematic service measurement and careful monitoring of metric definitely can improve the overall service quality.

In terms of cellular mobile services, various service providers who provide cellular services are assessed with respect to the process metrics parameters. Service providers give cellular services like customer care, data transmission, multimedia service, billing service etc. to their customer. They measure the quality of service given by them to customer in terms of service parameters. Various general service parameters are like – reliability, usability, efficiency, portability. Quality Metrics is designed against such parameters. Specific to cellular mobile services the Quality Metrics includes following factors & attributes, which affects the service quality. Service quality measurement requires the measuring of respective service quality attributes and factors.

For internal conformance, the measures of quality have much in common with the well-known measures widely used in control of manufacturing processes. Measure of external conformance is more complex due to the abstract nature of some of the qualities and due to the subjective reactions of consumers.

An obvious source of data on external conformance is the cross-section of consumer complaints and claims, although many annoyed consumer will not take the trouble to complain. However, the complaints received do represent a sample of the types of annoyance to which all consumer are subject.

A second method of measure of external performance is through solicitation of consumer comments. A typical form of this is the appraisal card made available to consumer in hotel rooms and restaurants. Some companies use the summaries of these cards as the basis for a regular management report.

Additionally, some companies design special surveys of customer reaction, through letter questionnaires, telephone contacts and personal interview. The techniques used follow conventional market research practice.

Measures of service quality have to date been on an industry by industry basis, and this will continue for the foreseeable future.

Some service companies supplement their regular measures of quality by use of periodic audits. These audits are all-pervasive, covering both internal and external aspects of quality. As is common in formal audit plans, the service industry audit covers many incidents, observations, documents, etc. To reduce these findings to a simple score suitable for management reports (or for motivation plans) requires systems of summary, weighting, demerit values, ratings, etc…

Audit or review of the work of professional categories of personnel (e.g., researchers, physicians) runs into a special obstacle. These professional categories tend to feel that the review must be by a ‘peer group’, e.g., only physicians should review the work of physicians. When audit of such professional work is done by administrative personnel, the findings are not accepted wholeheartedly.

Quality Metrics

Attributes needs to be measured to get the quality. Quality measurement is concerned with calculating some value for related service quality attributes. By comparing these values against standards, it is possible to get the quality status of any process. Quality Metrics are basically defined for improving the quality management processes. Metrics can be defined by collecting the observed values of Quality of Service attributes.

Metrics can be classified in two broad categories as

• the product metrics
• the process metrics

But as per the basic definition the service quality is associated with the customer satisfaction. And so quality metrics can be classified as : Mean Time to Failure, Mean Time to Repair, Customer Complaints & Customer Satisfaction Metrics. Service Quality Metrics of mobile services can be designed by observing the experienced service on mobile service parameters.

Customer Satisfaction is often measured by customer survey. Through survey the data can be collected on five-point scale against the service parameters. This gives actual customer experience against those service parameters.