Nollfel

Nollfel is a term of Swedish origin used primarily in discussions of quality management to describe a target or policy of zero defects. In practice it denotes an organization-wide commitment to preventing faults during design, production, and maintenance. The concept appears in Swedish manufacturing, software development, and service sectors as part of a broader zero-defects philosophy. Projects may adopt nollfel objectives, supported by root-cause analysis, poka-yoke methods, and continuous improvement to reduce defects to zero.

Origin and usage: The word fuses noll ("zero") with fel ("fault" or "error"), expressing a normative aim rather than a precise measurement. In Sweden and other Nordic contexts, nollfel is common in quality manuals, training materials, and corporate messaging. The term emphasizes prevention, error-proofing, and culture changes to avoid faults rather than merely detecting them after the fact.

Other senses: In physics or mathematics, "zero field" is the standard phrase; "nollfel" is not a standard technical term in those domains. When encountered in non-Swedish contexts, it is sometimes a transliteration or an informal usage rather than a formal term. In speculative writing or popular science, some authors may coin "nollfel" to denote a hypothetical region devoid of fields, but this is not established terminology.

See also: Zero defects, Quality control, Poka-yoke, Null point, Field (in physics).