Garvin’s Eight quality Dimensions The eight quality dimensions are a quality management approach coined by David Garvin, which is used for analyzing quality characteristics at the management or strategic level. These eight measures of quality include performance, reliability, durability, features, aesthetics, conformance, serviceability, and perceived quality. Some of these characteristics are mutually reinforcing, while others are not related because sometimes improvement in one of the dimensions negatively affects other measures.
According to Garvin, a good knowledge of the trade-offs required by customers concerning these dimensions often assist firms to create and sustain their competitive advantages. In addition, he asserts that the primary operating characteristic of goods and services is performance. Therefore, he uses different dimensions to illustrate his view; in the case of a restaurant, he uses good food as an example. He then proceeds to illustrate the features of a good or a service, which he believes are secondary characteristics.Garvin’s multidimensional approach is a good effort in improving people’s understanding of quality. This is because the combination of the eight dimensions when incorporated ensures that the quality of products of services is largely improved. For instance, conformance, which he describes as the match with specifications, ensures that products or services achieve the required standards.
For products that require durability, the multidimensional approach to quality ensures that the product life is significantly improved. Improving people’s understanding of quality also requires that people understand the dimensions of quality and Garvin explains the measurable attributes, which influence the dimensions of quality. Consequently, the eight measures described by Garvin can be used to evaluate or assess the quality and identify ways to improve different brands, products, or services.
