quality assurance

Defining Quality in Products.
An important part of defining the end-product of the project is the specification of its quality related features - which the project must then aim to deliver.
Quality assurance (QA) has been an issue at the forefront of organizational concerns for the past decade. The development of quality conscious industrial and business practices has been identified as being of the utmost importance in gaining and retaining a competitive edge. In the context of a project that aims to deliver a complex end-product, the quality aspects of that end-product will need to be planned, designed and worked for. “Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service which bear on its ability to satisfy a given need”.

Quality Assurance Definition.
QA is a global term used to incorporate the quality policy, quality management and quality control functions, which combine to assure the client that the product will be consistently manufactured to the required condition. Its aim is to achieve and assure quality through the adoption of a cost effective quality control system and through external inspections and audits. Quality planning is an integral part of the planning activity. It manifests itself in the product descriptions and in the scheduling of quality related activities in the PERT charts. The results of the quality planning activities are reflected in the resource and technical plans, at each level of the project. Quality control is concerned with ensuring that the required qualities are built into all of the products throughout their development life cycles. Quality control utilizes measurable quality criteria and is exercised via quality reviews, project reviews and by the testing of products. QA requires agreement on the level of quality controls to be adopted, both specifically relating to the project and to the overall organizational policy. It is important that all three interests represented by the project owner are taken into account when deciding the mechanisms to be adopted.

Quality Planning Process.
The planning process should specifically address the quality issues raised by a proposed project. Quality planning should have a significant effect on the overall size and scope of the projects plans. Quality planning is integral with general planning and it manifests itself in the product descriptions, specifically in their quality criteria. In addition, it should influence the scheduling of activities in the PERT chart. Quality related activities should also be explicitly integrated into the resource and technical plans.

Product Descriptions.
The product description should describe the purpose, form and components of a product. It should also list, or refer to, the quality criteria applicable to that product.
Product descriptions should be created as part of the planning process, to shadow the identification of the products that are required by the project. Each product description may either apply to a specific item, or to all the products of a given type. The component products of a complex product may be described in separate descriptions, giving rise to a hierarchy of product descriptions for that product.

Quality Criteria.
Quality criteria should be used to define the characteristics of a product in terms that are quantifiable, and therefore allow it to be measured - at various points in its
development life cycle, if required. The criteria effectively define 'quality' in the context of the product and are used as a benchmark against which to measure the finished product. Quality criteria should be detailed, or referred to, in the related product description. If the criteria are common to an already defined product, or even a class of products, it is sufficient to include a reference to the appropriate product description(s). Quality criteria should be established by considering what the important characteristics of a product are in satisfying the need that it addresses, and they should always be stated objectively. Subjective or descriptive criteria such as 'quick response' or 'maintainable' are unsatisfactory - as they do not permit meaningful measurement.

Inclusion on the PERT Chart.
Quality planning should ensure that all quality related activities are planned and incorporated into the projects PERT charts. The PERT chart is useful in project planning, as it assists in estimating and scheduling the work required. It contains detailed information on the duration of each activity and the sequence in which they should be performed. The tasks required to ensure the quality of the delivered products are often overlooked, with the result that the PERT chart fails to represent quality related work. This can have serious consequences for either: the quality levels achieved, the overall budget, or both. The PERT chart also clearly identifies the critical path, which is the sequence of related activities which will take the longest time to complete. It is important that every task required to accomplish the project is included, or accurate project planning will be jeopardized.

Ensuring Product Quality.
Quality control is concerned with ensuring that the required qualities are built into all of the products throughout their development life cycles. It defines the method of inspection, in-process inspection and final inspection to determine if the product has met its quality specification. Quality control utilizes measurable quality criteria and is exercised via change control, quality reviews, project reviews and by the testing of products.

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