Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Quality at the source emphasizes the responsibility of production personnel to ensure that defects are identified and corrected in real time at the point of origin, rather than defer the responsibility to downstream processes or external parties, such as vendors. This concept seeks to empower employees to take ownership of quality by enabling them to recognize and address issues immediately as they arise.

The notion of returning defects to the vendors contrasts with the principles of quality at the source, which prioritizes immediate correction and resolution of issues within the own processes. The aim is to create a culture of quality where all team members are engaged in maintaining high standards and minimizing defects from the outset, rather than passing the responsibility to another entity. Thus, the statement lacks alignment with the fundamental tenets of quality at the source.