Kaliteit

Kaliteit is a term used in Dutch-language discussions of quality management to denote a holistic assessment of the quality of a product or service. Rather than focusing on a single attribute, kaliteit encompasses multiple dimensions such as functional performance, reliability, usability, durability, serviceability, and environmental and ethical impact. The concept emphasizes value to stakeholders, balancing performance with cost, risk, and sustainability considerations.

The term is a neologism derived from kwaliteit, the Dutch word for quality, and has appeared in academic articles and industry reports since the late 2010s, particularly in debates about integrating quality with sustainability and user experience. A kaliteit assessment typically combines quantitative indicators (defect rates, performance test results, energy use, life-cycle assessment) and qualitative indicators (customer satisfaction, usability, perceived quality). A Kaliteit score is computed using a weighted aggregation, with weights tailored to context, and methodological transparency is encouraged.

Kaliteit is not a substitute for established standards such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 but can complement them by providing an integrative metric used in supplier evaluations, product development, and continuous improvement programs. Critiques include subjectivity in weighting, data requirements, and the risk of metric gaming or shallow interpretations if used in isolation. See also kwaliteit, quality management, ISO 9001, stakeholder theory.