Quality of goods and services and location decisions

Learning objectives

Say what quality means and why it matters to a business: its reputation, whether customers buy again, and what returns and wasted materials cost

Tell quality control (inspecting the finished product) from quality assurance (standards set and checked at every stage) and weigh each approach

Decide, with reasons, which of the two a business in a case study should use

Explain what a manufacturer looks for in a site, for example its cost, transport links, workers who can be recruited nearby and how close it is to raw materials and to customers

Explain what a service business looks for, for example the number of customers passing, easy access and parking, the rent and the competitors nearby

Explain what a business weighs up when it chooses a country to operate in, and recommend a location for a business in a case