Managing quality on your project means that you must first understand the specific quality expectations of your customer and then put a proactive plan in place to meet those expectations. The "proactive plan" contains a number of elements -- the most important of which are the quality control and quality assurance activities that need to be performed.
Quality control and quality assurance are important concepts, yet most project managers have only a vague understanding of the meanings and the differences between these terms. It's actually pretty easy.
Quality Control refers to quality related activities associated with the creation of project deliverables. Quality control is used to verify that deliverables are of acceptable quality and that they are complete and correct. Examples of quality control activities include deliverable peer reviews and the testing process.
Quality Assurance refers to the process used to create the deliverables, and can be performed by a manager, client, or even a third-party reviewer. Examples of quality assurance include process checklists and project audits. If your project gets audited, for instance, an auditor might not be able to tell if the content of a specific deliverable is acceptable (quality control). However, the auditor should be able to tell if the deliverable seems acceptable based on the process used to create it (quality assurance). That's why project auditors can perform a quality assurance review on your project, even if they do not know the specifics of what you are delivering. They don't know your project, but they know what good processes look like.
Here's an example to drive home the point. Let's say a project manager asked the sponsor to approve the Business Requirements Report. If you were the sponsor, how would you validate that the business requirements seemed complete and correct?
One solution would be for you to actually review the document and the business requirements. If you did that, you would be performing a quality control activity, since your actions would be based on validating the deliverable itself.
However, let's say the document was thirty pages long and that you (as the sponsor) did not have the expertise, the time, or the inclination to do a specific content review. In that case, you wouldn't ask to review the document itself. Instead, you would ask the project manager to describe the process used to create the document. Let's say you received the following reply.
Project manager - "I gathered eight of your major users in a facilitated session. After the meeting, I documented the requirements and asked the group for their feedback, modifications, etc. I then took these updated requirements to representatives from the Legal, Finance, Manufacturing and Purchasing groups and they added requirements that were needed to support company standards. We then had a meeting with the four managers in your area that are most impacted by this system. These managers added a few more requirements. I then asked your four managers to sign off on the requirements and you can see their signatures on the last page."
If you were the sponsor, would you now feel comfortable to sign the requirements? If it were me, I would feel pretty comfortable.
That's the difference. Quality control activities are focused on the deliverable itself. Quality assurance activities are focused on the process used to create the deliverable. They are both powerful techniques and both must be performed to ensure that the deliverables meet your customers quality requirements.
1
Gaurav - 02/03/06
Thanks. That was very helpful.
Regards,
Gaurav.
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2
Chandrasekar - 06/11/06
Great Document and its really useful.
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AL - 02/12/06
We had big confusion about this concept the other day in the meeting. Thanks for clearing it all up for us.
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AL - 02/12/06
We had big confusion about this concept the other day in the meeting. Thanks for clearing it all up for us.
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5
Ravi Kachalia - 06/01/07
ya its a worthful document and thanks for this information
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Puneet - 27/01/07
Nice document. One thing I found good in this document is that it is to the point and very precise.No beating around the bush.Good One...
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Ajay Ganta - 06/03/07
ya its a worthful document and thanks for this information
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chandrasekar - 29/03/07
It gives more and clear explanations and simply great to read.thanks for the same..
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Gopinath Kandaswamy - 09/04/07
Excellent explanation.Very clear in explaining the difference.Thanks
Regards,
Gopinath.K
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Shabi - 10/05/07
This is the best explanation on Quality that I have ever read. Very clean and crisp. Hope to see more explanations like this.
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Fazal - 10/05/07
I work in construction field and new to quality engineering. I felt lost when I was asked by District Quality Manager to describe the difference between QA/QC. With this article, its simple and easily understood. GREAT JOB!!!
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Vineetha Kalagara - 17/05/07
That was one of the best articles I have read online. No nonsense and appropriate information in the most understandable form. Proper examples and proper interpretation. It really helped me.
Thanks.
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Snehant - 22/05/07
Its simply great explanation !! can someone provide me a checklist for CMM or CMMI.. I mean xls containing all details
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Kelly Asuncion - 26/05/07
Very short, simple and direct to the point. Good article.
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15
Servesh dubey 09343415110 - 14/06/07
Thanx for this useful and pin pointed info
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16
Manikandan - 07/08/07
Hi,
It was very informative...Thanks !
Also, it would be great if you relate Quality Assurance activities with SEPG (Software Engineering Process Group). What i understood was SEPG was the way to implement Quality Assurance activities in software business.
Regards
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17
Qing Rui Wu - 21/10/07
Great points! Short & precise! Now I understand I am doing both QA and QC jobs as a project manager!
Thanks load!
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18
John - 01/11/07
Thanks very much. We've been struggling with defining roles in our process, and this was a great help.
Cheers,
John
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19
digant - 21/11/07
thanks for the explanation ...good example.
digant.
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20
Amanda - 29/11/07
I know everyone has already extended their thanks but I would like to also b/c I have searched every where looking for this exact subject and you all have it down packed! thank you, thank you, thank you
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21
Manoj - 12/12/07
Brief, concise and very imformative. It's cleared the air a little surrounding the meanings of the pair, and has allowed me to make more sense of the 'quality process' itself, thank you.
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22
c.m.vishnu - 19/01/08
It is a very good explanation,but it didn't contain a definition for quality.There is a lot of definition for quality pls. include that also it will help the students and freshers in quality control,thanking you
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23
fahad rehman - 23/01/08
i must say that i ve got a solid and clear concept of the differene between QA and QC, i ve seen many sites but got the result from here; the exactly concept that i wanted to.
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24
Heri Lingson - 17/06/08
Thanks alot for ur good explanarion on these terminologies, really i was confusing myself as a quality assurance officer. but now i understand, thank you.
best regards,
Heri
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25
Nivedita - 17/07/08
thanks,the explanation with that eg is very good.thanks again
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Cheku - 23/07/08
Points stated above are very specific. Could improve on explaining more with some specific examples. Only deliverable term is used to define the quality aspect.
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Vasudha - 24/08/08
Really, its very helpful document. i was confuse in QA & QC but now i understand. and ur example is very good. plz define quality. Thanks.
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Graeme - 12/09/08
Short, sharp and to the point. Great explanation in very well written English.
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mamta - 04/10/08
thanks, for providing me valuable information
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gangaraju - 06/10/08
its really helped me in attending interview gud stuff thank u
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maria - 09/11/08
thanks 4 giving me info
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Kamal Arora - 11/11/08
This is great site to learn which help us
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Inderjit singh - 13/11/08
Nice nothing is out of the topic, a generic pattern which can be followed on any project.
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kishore - 17/11/08
GOOD CLARIFICATION BETWEEN QA & QC
cheers
kishore
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35
Mithilesh - 11/12/08
Good example and explanatory...
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bing - 16/01/09
Thanks for the definition between QA and QC.
Now I understand.
Thanks again and more power!!!
bing of cambodia
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37
vasu - 20/01/09
It was fabulous..... i referred two more site but the content in this site was so impressive.
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38
Oliver Kraemer - 22/01/09
This was the best explanation I ever saw on the web. Excellent. I thought I had already understood. But reading this shows me what I still missed.
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39
siddhi - 09/04/09
it is realy help me to understand the real diff betn qa & qc thanks
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slw - 16/04/09
Perfect explanation of the difference in a short, easy to understand style. Thank you.
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Preetha - 02/05/09
Very impressive Explanation.I was preparing for an interview and wanted some "to the point /clear cut" explanation.This is great!
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42
Y.kaladhar - 03/05/09
thanks for defination between QA Vs QC,presently iam doing quality control engineer, which is very good defination for all QC and QA professionals
thank for more information
Regards
Y.KALADHAR
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43
Sowmya - 13/05/09
Thanx so much!!! I really felt irritated when i had to study quality assurance after an exhaustive session of quality control! But now i can proceed :)
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ajitsonu18 - 11/08/09
hi...
Its Helped me a lot..........
Thanks for sharing this with all of us.........
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Satya - 11/08/09
The process stated above by Project Manager, it is assumed that the stake holders in the process are functional at optimumn levels. It is generally assumed that the people participating in the process are skillful and are dependable. If the stake holders don't have sufficient skills, capabilities, knowledge or lacks the needed energy/motivation level for the work/deliveries - the outcome will be a BIG ZERO or half-backed. So you should also ping and make sure on right stake holders are in place with right skills/capabilities/knowledge/energies/motivation levels.
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j.c - 18/08/09
Good points, and the PMBOK is not describing the 2 things this clear and its editors better to revise it (shame)
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basuraj - 20/08/09
hi its very good information reg.QC & QA........thanks...
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Nagarajan - 22/09/09
Thanks for this clarifying note on Control vs Assurance.For quite sometime I have been trying to find the real difference.After reading this article I am very clear.Must say it is well written and claerly communicates the difference
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49
Bent0ne - 07/10/09
Am a long time Project & Program Manager (not many know the diff...one reports to the other) and always used this: QC is the functional group that sets up the metrics, processes, etc of QA.
QC usually reports or has members on the Product Team and QA is the out come of the QC group, which can (should) span all functional groups. Usually no one from Marketing/Sales/Legal will have a QC person or hat for their rep on the Product Team.
Too many think only a production function, but QC really belongs at the first product team meeting and embedded in each functional groups responsibility.
This really is a cultural thing, or a way of thinking, or philosophies, or values on things. Both process and product (including services)
Then the various metrics within QA. Like AQL (acceptable quality level and on that....sample size, percentage reject, frequency of each sampling, etc)
The larger the organization and the larger the product team, the more likely QC/QA will become diluted and/or lost in the noise. It is up to the PM or chair of the Product Team to maintain that mind set. Harder for matrix teams (no direct staff to the PM, just assigned to the Product Team).
The PM must have QA metrics baked into the Product Team contract (specifications) from the onset. For each functional group, including legal/marketing/sales/etc. This is how the PM empowers the QC function. Otherwise too late after the specifications has been signed off by the team members, the PM and the GM.
I've noticed that QC/QA is not high on the list if the PM function is not engineering based. Generally Marketing (Product Marketing Manager) based will skew or bias those metrics towards FCS (first customer ship) weighting.
PS...what is this site/group? Found it looking for QC/QA info to show some folks that it's not just from me, but generally accepted everywhere... :)
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50
Messan - 29/10/09
This is so great.
Thanks guys.
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51
Hema - 03/11/09
2 components
Review checklist - that has a set of parameters used during peer review of test artifacts
Quality audit - auditor performs a validation of test artifacts to ensure they meet the defined criteria
Which of the above is QA/QC ?
Thanks
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52
prateek saxena - 17/11/09
yes this is very good article bcz it gives all the knowledge about quality control $ it is very useful 4 me
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53
Umesh - 21/12/09
Guys this is such a fantastic article which clear my doubt related to QA and QC processes.thanks
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54
soumya - 23/12/09
Very useful document.Very clearly defined the difference.
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s.alam - 06/01/10
yes this is good article.
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N Presswala - 12/01/10
Excellent explaination. Could'nt asked for more.
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Ulagapa - 13/01/10
Very simple, gist and excellent explanation!!!
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Tom - 26/01/10
I would like to know/could someone reply to this question: "What is the actual difference between 'Quality Control and Quality Assurance' v.s. 'Verification and Validation' [of a product or process]?"
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59
Hassan - 17/02/10
Nice article but still a question mark. Want to ask same question from Tom""What is the actual difference between 'Quality Control and Quality Assurance' v.s. 'Verification and Validation' [of a product or process]?""
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60
Zorro - 20/02/10
That's really cool. I was searching for such an article for quite some time. Excellent comprehensive example by the way.
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