Who Is Customer & Types Of Customers

A customer is anyone who is impacted by the product or process. Customers may be external or internal.

EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS. These are impacted by the product but are not members of the company that produces the product. External customers include clients who buy the product, government regulatory bodies, and the public (which may be impacted due to unsafe products or damage to the environment).

INTERNAL CUSTOMERS. They are impacted by the product, and are also members of the company that produces the product. They are often called "customers" despite the fact that they are not customers in the dictionary sense, that is, they are not clients.

PS: Source - Excerpt of Juran on Quality by Design