Cost of quality management in the agrifood sector: a systematic review of indicators and implementation outcomes
Ouafa Barakat, Taib Elassimi, Vikas SwarnakarPurpose
This study systematically reviews empirical research on cost of quality (CoQ) management in the agrifood sector, where CoQ-related research remains fragmented and under-theorized. It synthesizes evidence on CoQ measurement indicators and the organizational outcomes of CoQ implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and the SPIDER framework. Searches in Scopus and Web of Science covered records available up to 2025, and 15 peer-reviewed empirical studies were retained after independent screening. The studies were examined using a structured extraction form, formal quality appraisal and deductive-inductive content analysis validated through author cross-checking, with particular emphasis on the prevention–appraisal–failure (PAF) model.
Findings
The PAF model emerges as the prevailing framework for CoQ measurement in agrifood contexts. Seven principal implementation outcomes were identified, spanning financial performance improvement, customer satisfaction, waste reduction, organizational performance, a strategic shift toward prevention, enhanced managerial decision-making and sector-specific operational challenges. The evidence is strongest for prevention-oriented investments, although implementation effects are conditional on organizational maturity, accounting infrastructure, certification status and supply-chain data visibility. External failure costs, especially reputational damage and trust loss, remain the least consistently measured category.
Originality/value
This study provides the first systematic synthesis of empirical evidence on CoQ management in the agrifood sector. By consolidating measurement indicators and implementation outcomes, it develops an agrifood-extended PAF perspective that links food-safety compliance, perishability and cold-chain losses, and traceability/trust-related consequences. The review establishes a structured foundation for future theoretical development and managerial application, while identifying critical research avenues including methodological diversification, digital traceability, sustainability integration and stronger links between CoQ systems and organizational learning.