Economic Aspects of the Quality of Products, Its Control and Certification.

Having laid stress upon the ambiguity involved in the term ″quality″ , the article considers the meaning of ″aptitude for use″ to which a different sense is given by each user. This is valid also for the notion of ″total cost″ . Facing such a set of requirements, the most efficient means the manufacturer can use to ensure and even to improve the quality of his products is the organization of a quality control. However, the notion itself of a quality level for a product is far from being absolute. The definition of a quality optimum is arrived at, corresponding to the best compromise between ″quality and cost″ or better between ″value and use and total cost″ . The external actions which tend to affect the quality levels, obeying in this connection very diversified impulses, are then considered. To conclude, products certification, its aims, and its advantages as well as its drawbacks are considered.