A Systematic Literature Review of the Implementation of Cost of Quality

Quality management and the practices associated with quality improvement continue to shape global business. One such practice is reducing the Cost of Quality (CoQ) in companies; yet both research and industry indicate that CoQ as a competitive tool for continuous improvement is not yet fully adopted by firms. The objective of this study is to assess the factors that prevent the successful implementation of CoQ. The study adopted systematic literature review as the research methodology and the review was conducted on papers published over an eleven year period in the Emerald Insight database between 2007 and 2018. The findings suggest that multiple factors affect the implementation of CoQ programmes. Twenty key factors were identified, with measurement and improvement, return on investment, management support, awareness, and strategic alignment as the most listed contributors to poor CoQ implementation. The paper concludes with key findings and recommendation.