Quality Management System (QMS)
The system of creating and following organizational Policies and Procedures and tailoring them to ensure the Project also meets the needs of the Customer
Quality Assurance (QA)
Part of the QMS that aims to provide confidence that Quality requirements are being fulfilled and is targeted at Predicting and Preventing errors/defects before their occurrence
Quality Control (QC)
Part of the QMS focused on fulfilling Quality requirements by Evaluating and Comparing Actual Performance parameters with the Requirements or Specifications
Continuous Improvement
An ongoing effort to improve Products, Services or Processes. Achieved through several tools, egg PDCA, TQM, etc.
PDCA Cycle. The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, also known as Deming Cycle or Shewhart Cycle:
Plan ˃ Do ˃ Check ˃ Act
Total Quality Management (TQM)
A management approach in which All Members of an Organization (Project Team in this case) participate in improving Processes, Products, Services, and the Culture in which they work4
Quality Inspection
An Evaluation or Assessment on Products involving Measurements and Testing
- Establishes Conformance to Customer Requirements through drive tests, measurement/weighing and inspecting
- Results in Accepted or Rejected Deliverables/Products
Quality Audit
An evaluation of an Organization, System, Process, Project or Production Line involving interviewing, checking records and making observations etc.
- Results in Compliance or Non-compliance
Examples.
- Checking thickness of a rod: inspection
- Validating the shirt cutting methodology: audit
- Weighing the cement bag: inspection
- Verifying cupboard dimensions: inspection
- Review of on-line ticket purchasing; audit
- Interview and selection for IT job: inspection
- Pre-Dispatch Inspection (PDI) on a Production Line: inspection
- ISO 9001: Audit
Quality& Grade
Quality is fulfilment of the Customer Requirements while Grade is the availability of number of facilities or features in a product
- A Low-Grade Product can have High Quality
Accuracy & Precision
Accuracy is nearness to a target (desired) value for measurements or data while Precision is the repeatability of a measurement or data. Accuracy is mostly dependent on the person measuring (performing) while Precision is mostly dependent of the measuring tool
Cost of Quality (COQ)
Costs required to ensure that Product will meet the Requirements and it has got Minimum Defects (high acceptability)
- Involves both Cost of (ensuring) Good Quality and facing the consequences of Bad Quality
Cost of Poor Quality
- Low productivity
- Increased inspections
- Cost overruns
- Disturbed cash flows
- Delays in product delivery
- Bad market reputation
- Disagreements over product acceptances
- Loss of business
- Reduction in expected sales numbers
