Quality Management

Question 1

What is Quality Management?

Answer 1

A management discipline concerned with making sure that activities happen according to a prescribed plan. It is all about preventing problems before they occur, and progressing through the lifecycle with zero deviations from specifications.

Question 2

What is Quality Planning?

Answer 2

Determining what quality standards are appropriate for the project and producing a plan which documents how to achieve them.

Main elements of Quality Plan:

• Description of project objectives and quality expectations
• Quality criteria/policies that need to be followed
• Acceptance criteria for project deliverables
• Quality Management R&Rs
• Standards that will apply
• Quality metrics
• Monitoring & reporting procedures
• Testing & quality assurance procedures
• Quality audit procedures
• Change control procedures

Question 3

What is Quality Assurance?

Answer 3

Provides Confidence

Encompasses activities necessary to ensure Quality Plan is being adhered to.

Process of evaluating overall project performance on regular basis via formal audits and reviews:

• Internal reviews - within project team
• Outside project - by Org’s internal audit function
• External bodies - e.g. checking ISO 9000 compliance. Very formal.

Question 4

What does Quality Assurance Ensure?

Answer 4

• Project personnel aware of need for quaity and required standards. Necessary training provided
• Approved Quality Plan detailing all required assurance and control procedures and standards
• All monitoring/contolling actions are being adhered to as per plan
• Effective change control process in place & communicate regularly
• Defined quality control parameters for raw materialsm intermediate products and final deliverables defined and acted upon
• Deliverables in line with customer requirements & fit for purpose

Question 5

What is Quality Control?

Answer 5

Technical function involved in monitoring specific project/product parameters to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards.

2 main methods:

• Inspection
• Statistical Quality Control

Question 6

What are the Benefits of Quality Management?

Answer 6

• Right first time as all problems eradicated
• Engenders confidence in agreed scope & outputs being delivered
• Reduces rework and therefore cost
• Minimises risk of introduction of faulty deliverables
• Improves efficiency & awareness