Quality Control and Assurance

 Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) are two essential points of project management, especially when it comes to the provision of products or services to customer satisfaction or more than that. Although both are set to accomplish high-quality output, they are different in that they are different in approach and focus. This is a brief discussion of quality control and quality assurance, the difference between the two, and the best method to use them in your project.

                                                                        

1. Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Assurance is a proactive activity intended to achieve the quality management system is effective and the quality is taken into account in the project initially. QA is intended to avoid defects by setting up processes, procedures, and standards that would set the project on the path of high quality outputs.

Key Characteristics of QA:

Process oriented: QA is concerned with the enhancement of the process to provide quality on the finished product.

Prevention: It focuses on the prevention of defects on the first stage by detecting and solving possible issues at an early stage.

• Continuous Improvement: QA is an ongoing process, which presupposes regular reviews and evaluations to make sure that the project is following the quality requirements.

• Documentation and Standards: QA should include an in-depth documentation of processes, standards, and methodologies that will help to direct the project team.

QA Activities:

1. Process Design and Planning:

o Installing specific quality standards and best practices to lead the project.

o Specification of procedures to be applied in dealing with tasks to achieve uniform quality in project lifecycle.

2. Audits and Reviews:

o Carrying out frequent internal or external audits to monitor compliance with standards of quality.

o Conducting a periodic audit of the project processes and products to determine how well they meet quality expectations.

3. Training and Education:

o Giving the team members the training required to get them acquainted and capable of implementing quality standards.

o Providing continuous training on quality tools, techniques and methodologies.

4. Process Improvements:

o Determining unproductive areas in the project and engaging in constant upgrades.

o Getting feedback on processes through a team and stakeholders.

Tools and Techniques for QA:

• Six Sigma: A methodology that is data-driven to enhance the quality of processes by eliminating and eradicating causes of defects.

• ISO 9001: A popular standard of quality management systems.

Lean Management A management strategy aimed at maximizing value through waste reduction and efficiency.

• Benchmarking: The way processes and performance are compared with industry standards in order to find out how to improve.

When to Use QA:

• In the projects where it is important to assure that the processes and procedures are aligned by quality standards.

• In multifaceted or intricate projects which need uniformities to provide uniformity.

When the goal is to increase the overall productivity of project implementation.

2. Quality Control (QC)

Quality Control is a reactive process which is aimed at detecting defects in the finished product or deliverable. QC controls the final product to the desired quality standards through checking, measurement, and testing outputs.

Key Characteristics of QC:

• Product-Oriented: QC aims at measuring the quality of the end product, service or deliverable.

• Detection: It is concerned with finding out the flaws or problems in the product that has already been manufactured, hence rectifying them prior to the delivery to the customer.

• Corrective Action: QC makes corrective measures to remedy any defects identified in the product.

• Inspection and Testing: QC deals with strict testing, inspection and review of the product to ascertain that it fits the quality requirement.

QC Activities:

1. Inspection and Testing:

o Conducting checks on different phases of the project in order to ascertain that the deliverables are of quality.

o To detect defects or areas that can be improved, the running of tests (e.g., functional tests, stress tests, user acceptance tests, etc.) is performed.

2. Product Reviews:

o Checking the completed products or deliverables to check whether they meet the customer needs and pre-defined quality standards.

o Detecting differences between what was scheduled to be done and what has been created.

3. Corrective Actions:

o Improving the product by taking corrective measures according to the results of tests or inspections to correct any flaws in the product.

o Redoing or altering the deliverable to the quality standards.

4. Sampling and Auditing:

o A sample of the products or the outputs would be tested to guarantee quality requirements.

o Comparing the end products with the quality requirements to determine their correspondence with the project objectives.

Tools and Techniques for QC:

• Control Charts: Diagrams to be used in tracking the variation in the processes and detecting trends or digressions of quality standards.

Pareto Analysis: Determining the most frequent sources of defects or problems, according to Pareto principle (80/ 20 rule).

• Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa): A diagram that is used to visualize the root causes of defect or issues in a process.

• Statistical Process Control (SPC): The application of statistical techniques in the measurement and management of quality process.

• Inspection Checklists: Recording on certain quality checks that must be carried out when making inspections.

When to Use QC:

• In a project where the end product should be tested or evaluated to ascertain that they satisfy the requirements.

When deliverables may have quality flaws that will only be found out when production or delivery is done.

• Where there is the need to verify and validate the outputs before it is passed to the customers or stakeholders.

4. Integrating QA and QC in a Project

The best approach is to integrate both Quality Assurance and Quality Control throughout the project lifecycle. Here’s how to combine the two effectively:

Before the Project Starts (Planning Phase):

• Define quality standards, policies, and processes (QA).

• Set up tools and techniques for monitoring and testing deliverables (QC).

• Train the team on quality standards and processes (QA).

During the Project (Execution Phase):

• Use quality assurance techniques to streamline processes and prevent defects (e.g., process audits, process improvements).

• Use quality control techniques to inspect and test deliverables, ensuring they meet quality criteria (e.g., inspections, testing).

After the Project (Closing Phase):

• Conduct a final review of the entire project to evaluate whether the quality management plan was followed.

• Perform a final QC check on deliverables before closing the project.

• Document lessons learned and areas for future quality improvements.

5. Best Practices of QA and QC Implementation.

The following are the best practices that can be used to apply QA and QC in your projects:

For QA:

• Set Quality Standards: Early in the project, set quality standards of processes and deliverables.

• Constant Observation: It should be regularly evaluated and you should be able to observe the quality of your project procedures and make changes accordingly.

• Document Everything: Document quality policies, procedures, and results of quality audits so that they are consistent and traceable.

Training and Knowledge Sharing: The training of all the team members in the rules of quality and in the necessity of keeping the quality in their work is needed.

For QC:

Use Objective Standards: Be sure that you have quantifiable, specific standards in testing and checking deliverables.

• Regular Testing: It should regularly test deliverables, particularly in the critical stages of the project, to identify defects in time.

• Feedback Loops: Have a system in place where you can easily correct faults, and there is a line of communication where people can be able to complain and sort out their problems.

• Track Defects: Monitor the defects and problems using a defect log to determine trends and common problems.

Conclusion

Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are complementary strategies which both achieve high-quality project deliverables only they do not look at the same aspects. QA involves eliminating defects through process improvement whereas QC involves the detection and correction of defects within the end product. With the effective combination of the QA and the QC, you are able to make sure that your project is able to meet the quality prospects of the stakeholders and that you deliver results which are reliable, consistent and valuable.