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...]
A Value Analysis attempts to improve the value of a project using value engineering methodology. This is defined by the Value Methodology Standard, published by SAVE International. It is defined as an assessment of a product that attempts to minimize its cost in relation to its functions. Typically, a value engineering team meets for 1-3 weeks, during which they … [Read more...]
In most industries, standard methods of problem solving have been developed. For example, if you want to build a road from point A to point B and there's a stream in between, you build a standard type of bridge. Human nature tends toward the familiar. If that type of bridge was built many times before, all parties will tend towards duplicating the previous … [Read more...]
Tacit knowledge is that which is not codified and transferable through written or oral language, for example personal experience. It is the opposite of explicit knowledge which is learned and can be repeated. Tacit knowledge is held by human beings; It is more difficult to obtain than explicit knowledge but has more value. Tacit knowledge is business … [Read more...]
Project Quality Management is the 5th knowledge area within the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). It contains the knowledge and processes required to ensure the highest quality products and deliverables are produced by the project. Although the highest quality should always be a goal, the highest grade is not necessarily so. Quality: The … [Read more...]
A single poor quality deliverable can create not only a problem with the customer, but an internal cycle of low performance whereby an environment is created where project quality is not valued as it should be. Project team members then get into the habit of avoiding the extra effort to produce top quality products. In the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), … [Read more...]
Project quality is a unique aspect of project management. The stakeholders are disappointed if the project does not meet the minimum quality standards, but achieving more than the standard is a waste of project resources and money. On top of that, the minimum quality standards are often difficult to define and subject to stakeholder whims, such as the tolerance levels … [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, creating an environment where quality is not valued … [Read more...]
Performing quality assurance ensures that the processes are in place to produce the project deliverables at the applicable level of quality. Normally called QA, it is the process of auditing and analyzing the systems which produce a product in order to improve their quality. It should not be confused with Quality Control, which is a direct measurement of the … [Read more...]
For engineers like me, quality is a big deal. Industry standard quality control dictates that most documents and designs require a "second stamp" i.e. a reviewer who takes as much responsibility as the designer. If non-engineering professions followed this practice, many project quality issues would be solved. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) values … [Read more...]
