In project management, like most things in life, there is no free lunch. If you want to finish sooner, you will have to cut the project scope. If you want lower costs, you have to cut expenses. If you want higher quality, you have to pay more. This constant tug of war is called the Triple Constraint, also known as the Project Management Triangle, or the Iron … [Read more...]
Many people are confused by the difference between these two terms, even experienced professionals. Trust me, the boundaries between them are sometimes grey. However, there is a difference. And once you realize it, you'll be amazed at how obvious it is. Objective They have different objectives. Quality Assurance (QA) focuses on preventing defects. Quality … [Read more...]
Project quality is a unique aspect of project management in that it lurks in behind the scenes. Time and money (budget) are usually bigger factors in project success, but inadequate focus on quality can sneak up and trip up a project at least as much as those two factors. On top of that, the minimum quality standards are often difficult to define and subject to … [Read more...]
Six Sigma was a powerful quality improvement system developed by Motorola that took the world by storm in the early 2000's with high profile adoptions by General Electric, Honeywell, and others. Lean was a manufacturing methodology originated by Toyota, which turned manufacturing on its head by focusing on minimizing idling products (inventory) rather than minimizing … [Read more...]
Controlling the quality of a project’s deliverables can be the silver bullet that makes everything else feel easy. Unfortunately, it’s often easier said than done but there are tried and true techniques that help you get there. On the flip side, a single poor quality deliverable can create a cycle of low performance, whereby an environment is created where quality … [Read more...]
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) suggests that the Cost of Quality is usually around 15 - 20% of sales, often as high as 40% in some organizations. Clearly, you need to know what that means and how to prevent errors and omissions from hurting your business. Cost of Quality (COQ) is a measure of the cost an organization faces due to the production of substandard … [Read more...]
Everybody has stories of quality problems and the anxiety they cause. The assembly line is down, or a customer complained about the product, or the report missed an important element, in that moment the only thing that matters is that someone didn't achieve the quality expectations. Believe it or not, the presence of defective products is not always a bad … [Read more...]
Projects don't manage themselves. Professional project management requires the development of a plan that outlines how it will be managed. According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (section 4.2), the project management plan fulfills this purpose. Although it includes any and all items that define the management of the project, there are certain … [Read more...]
So you want to introduce Six Sigma into your organization. Congratulations! Thousands of organizations have walked this path and found not just gold at the end of the rainbow, but satisfied employees, improved morale, and other benefits. The goal of implementing Six Sigma in your organization is to improve the quality of your products or services. That is the … [Read more...]
Six Sigma is a technique used to reduce defects in manufacturing processes. Hundreds of organizations across all industries use Six Sigma to decrease costs, increase profits, and improve quality. Although it was popularized in the 1990's its processes are well established in many organizations today. Six Sigma practitioners are trained in the science of analyzing … [Read more...]
