Chapter 1.
Processed-based quality management system at Upetrom 1 mai S.A. Ploiesti

1. Introduction – defining quality and the need for a quality management system
When talking about quality the first thing to be noticed is that “quality” is not just a simple term, but rather a concept whose understanding implies the discussion of different aspects and perspectives. As a consequence, defining quality is a rather complex task.
The way people define quality has more to do with the way people perceive quality. In this sense there are more dimensions of quality. The most used and respected set of quality dimensions include the transcendent dimension which regards quality as something that is intuitively understood, but almost impossible to communicate, like beauty or love; the product-based dimension states that quality is found in the components and attributes of a product. The user-based definition considers that if the customer is satisfied this means that a product has good quality; the manufacturing-based definition relates good quality to product’s conformance to design specifications. Furthermore, there is also the value-based dimension which connects quality to the value provided for the price; therefore, good value is translated into good quality. [1]
These dimensions refer to the customers’ view of quality. As far as the manufacturer is concerned, quality is viewed differently. One of the important determinants of how quality is perceived relates to the functional role fulfilled organizationally. Taking this into consideration there are supply chain perspectives, engineering, operation, marketing, financial human resources perspectives, etc.
Moreover, the focus on different aspects of quality is also revealed by the fundamental areas of quality control, quality assurance and quality management, with the role to tie the first two together.
The contingency theory sets a common understanding of quality. This theory states that due to different types