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...]
Project quality assurance is one out of three parts of a larger project quality system that ensures the project deliverables meet the planned quality standards. The other two are the Plan Quality Management process and Quality Control. Notice that the goal is not to produce the highest quality deliverables, only that the deliverables meet the quality standards in the … [Read more...]
It's not hard to find projects which were delivered on time and budget with stakeholders satisfied in every other respect except for the quality of the project's deliverables. Usually, this factor alone causes projects to be considered a failure. Thus, strong project management demands a strong knowledge of project quality management. But how do you ensure that the … [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...]
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...]
Six Sigma is a methodology for eliminating defects in a manufacturing process. Although its origins are in the manufacturing industries, it can be used to increase product quality in any situation where a product is being produced. Six Sigma was developed by Motorola during the 1980's and subsequently adopted and popularized by General Electric (GE) during the … [Read more...]
