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...]
Planning for Project Quality
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...]
Quality Control According to the PMBOK
A single poor quality deliverable can create a cycle of low performance, creating an environment where quality is not valued and people do not put in the extra effort to deliver high quality products. Likewise, controlling the quality of a project’s deliverables can be the silver bullet that makes everything else feel easy. Fortunately, the Project Management Body of … [Read more...]
Guide to Project Quality Management
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...]
The Cost of Quality
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...]
4 Core Parts of a Quality Management Plan
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...]
PRINCE2’s Quality Management Approach
The Quality Management Approach specifies the methods the project will use to ensure quality in its end product. This includes specifying the quality standards the project will aim for, measurements to determine whether or not that standard has been achieved, and quality audits to find areas for process improvement. Composition The Quality management approach … [Read more...]
Project Quality Management According to the PMBOK
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...]
Project Quality Control Basics
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...]
The Quality Control Process
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...]