Quality Assurance vs Quality Control

July 26, 2020
Fahad Usmani
Quality Assurance vs Quality Control

质量保证和质量控制是任何项目最重要的过程,因为该项目的成功取决于这些过程。

每个项目都有一个质量控制部分来照顾这些功能。质量保证功能通常与组织保持联系,质量控制部分必须与组织进行沟通以在这两个过程之间进行协调。

Since these processes are connected and work in coordination, many professionals, especially those working in small and medium sized organizations, do not understand their differences.

这让我想起了一个交互在my ISO 9001 training course a few years back. I met with many professionals involved in quality management. These people were all from different backgrounds and were working in various fields.

我遇到的一个人告诉我,他在公司的QA/QC工程师工作。我向他询问了他的工作职责和职责。

他回答说,他四处走走,看到一切都按计划进行,请检查物品是否正确,他会采取正确的态度corrective actionif there are any deviations from the specifications.

I said okay, that takes care of the quality control part of your job, but what about quality assurance?

He was not aware of his quality assurance responsibilities.

It often happens that professionals who work as a QA or QC or QA/QC engineer are not aware of their job responsibilities, even though the difference between the responsibilities of quality assurance and quality control functions is clear.

This issue is prevalent in small or medium-sized organizations where they usually do not have the resources to hire QA and QC engineers separately.

In such cases, the person may possess the title of QA while working as QC and sometimes QC working as QA, or maybe even worse. This ambiguity is not right for the project and may affect the quality of the deliverable as well as the success of the project.

质量保证是管理产品质量的过程。质量控制用于验证产品的正确性和质量。在我们开始详细讨论质量保证和质量控制之前,我们首先要了解“质量”一词。

What is Quality?

The most important and accepted definition of quality is given by Mr. Philip B. Crosby which says quality is “Conformance to requirements.”

According to ISO 8402:1996 – Quality Management and Quality Assurance Vocabulary standard, “Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.”

According to ISO 9000:2000 – Set of International Quality Standards and Guidelines for Quality Management Systems, “Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent (existing) characteristics fulfills requirements.”

简而言之,您可以说“质量”是要满足客户的要求,并且可交付的可用于使用。

如果一个产品达到或超过客户的requirements, it is said to be of high quality. However, if it does not meet its stated requirements, the product is of low quality. Please note that, regardless of the等级,质量应该很高;无论如何,质量均不能妥协。

Quality Assurance

quality assurance

保证的含义是保证或信任。保证是提供您可以相信的信心的行为。您可以说质量保证可以保证产品的质量。它确保该过程的输出是无缺陷的,并符合所有要求。

Quality assurance is a process-based approach; its primary objective is to prevent defects in deliverables in the planning stage to avoid rework, which is always expensive.

这是一个积极主动的过程;它强调planning, documenting, and finalizing the guidelines that will be necessary to assure the quality. It helps to understand the product’s requirements and expectations, and this process starts at the beginning of the project.

Once all requirements and expectations are identified, a plan is developed to meet these requirements and expectations.

质量保证过程中使用的工具

The following tools are used in quality management: quality audit, process analysis, quality management, and control tools.

In a quality audit, a team of external experts comes in to review the process and procedures. If there are any discrepancies, they will suggest corrective action, and they may suggest an improvement in the process.

Quality audit is a great tool to ensure that the project follows best practices and approved procedures.

在过程分析中,您分析以找到任何改进,发现任何问题的根本原因并确定任何非价值的活动。

Quality management and control tools include various diagrammatic techniques, which help you find ideas, make decisions, and prioritize issues. A few examples of these tools include an affinity diagram, a tree diagram, network diagram, etc.

Quality Control

quality control

Quality control is a product-based approach that concerns the activities and techniques that are used to fulfill the quality requirements.

Quality control functions start right at the beginning of the project work; it is a reactive approach, which helps find defects in deliverables. The primary objective of the quality control process is to make sure that the deliverables are defect free and acceptable and based on the quality requirements.

质量控制过程具有以下目标:要找到产品中的任何缺陷,纠正它们并验证可交付的可交付。

Quality assurance and quality control are dependent on each other; the quality control process receives input from the quality assurance process, and in turn, gives its feedback to the quality assurance process so that the quality assurance process can validate the operational process.

For instance, if the project team finds a defect during the execution, they will correct it, and they will send the feedback to the quality assurance team. The quality assurance team will take corrective or preventive action after investigating the cause of this defect to prevent this defect from happening again in the future.

Once the process is updated, the quality control people will follow the updated process so the defect does not recur.

The quality assurance process takes inputs from the quality control process, and vice versa.

Tools Used in the Quality Control Process

通常,质量控制过程有三种技术。它们是检查,统计抽样和七个基本质量工具。

In an inspection, the deliverable is physically examined for any defects and to check if it matches the requirements.

在统计抽样中,您可以从批处理中选择随机数量的项目,并检查它们是否有任何缺陷和一致性。

The seven basic tools of quality arescatter diagram,control chart, histogram, checklist,Pareto diagram,cause-and-effect analysis和流程图。这些工具有助于查找缺陷和缺陷的原因。

The Difference Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control

The following are a few differences between the quality assurance and quality control processes:

  • Quality assurance focuses on defect prevention, while quality control focuses on defect identification.
  • Quality assurance guarantees that the plan was efficient to avoid any anticipated defects. Quality control helps you find defects in the deliverable and correct them.
  • Quality assurance is a proactive process which starts even before the work on the deliverable has started, while quality control is a reactive process and its activity starts as soon as you start working on the deliverable.
  • Quality assurance is a process-based approach; here you develop the process to create the product, while quality control is a product-based approach where you make sure the product is as per requirements.
  • Quality assurance involves processes managing quality, and quality control is used to verify the quality of the product.
  • A quality audit is an example of quality assurance while inspection and testing are examples of the quality control process.

Although these processes are different, they complement each other and the output of one is an input of the other.

The Benefits of Quality Assurance and Quality Control

The following are a few benefits of these processes:

  • They provide you with high-quality output and eliminate waste.
  • 它们提高了操作的效率。
  • They provide customer satisfaction, which helps your brand and helps in growing your business.
  • Less rework and after-sale support are required, which will help you save a lot of money.
  • They encourage a high level of confidence and a motivated team.

Quality assurance and quality control are closely related, and they have the same objective, i.e., to deliver a defect-free product.

Both processes are an integral part of a quality management plan and failure to apply either of them will result in a low quality product.

Summary

The quality assurance and quality control processes ensure that a product is defect-free and conforms to requirements. Both processes have the same purpose but, the approach is different. Quality assurance is a process-based and quality control is a product-based. Quality assurance designs a process so that the product created by this process is defect free, while quality control checks the product when producing it to prevent a defective product from reaching the market.

These processes play essential roles in the success of your project. Their effectiveness can only be achieved if they are well understood by the organization and the team performing the job.

There is another process, “validate scope,” which might be combined with quality assurance and quality control. I have written another blog post to explain this as well. Please visit:Quality Control and Validate Scope.

Are you involved in quality assurance or quality control activities? If yes, please share your experiences in the comment section.

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Speak Your Mind

  • Very usefull, with relevent to construction sector , which is not orgnised as manufacturing we are sometimes facing non availability of competent QA /QC professional .
    Please give in details related to construction.

  • 这是一个非常有趣且有见地的文章。我希望进一步看到的是,质量管理人员如何在具有多元化产品和服务的组织中应用质量保证和QC。例如打印部门和保险部门?

    是否需要首先了解对质量控制练习的质量审核的过程?

    • Hello Kaimfa,

      Both processes are interconnected. It would be better for someone if they understood both processes.

  • 非常感谢。我非常感谢我在此博客上学到的知识,而不是实例的简单性和相对性。曾经非常感谢

  • Hi Fahad,

    You are doing a great job, thanks a lot for this blog! Really helps to understand many concepts in different words (even more clear than in RITA book while, of course, the one should read RITA before the exam).

    A simple acknowledgment of the fact that quality assurance is a process-based approach while quality control is a product based approach (and therefore we apply the same for audits and inspections) allowed to me answer easily to at least 4 or 5 questions during the PMP exam yesterday.

    Thanks,
    Dima

  • 你好法哈德,

    Can we say that QA is the Manage Quality in Project Quality Management and QC is the control quality in Project Quality Management?

    Thank you,
    Mehul Parekh

  • I have a research assignment which I have to do. From what I have just read, could one formulate a research title which reads:

    标题:质量保证与QC在制造环境中的有效性的研究。

    Under financial constraints, which of the two would be a better option to invest in. Where one’s aim/objective would be to prove that QA provides a better means of ensuring quality? Or coming to a holistic conclusion that both QA and QC is equally important. I am still quite unsure, this is only the beginning of my research task.

    • Both are equally important and complement each other. In QA you define procedure and in QC you ensure that it is followed.

  • quality is a word with several meaning and connotation. quality can mean excellence as in,this is a quality product.

  • 一直在努力理解这两个任务如何执行的概念。您的博客帮助我澄清了差异及其独特性。用普通和简单的语言起草得很好。谢谢你!

  • well,Here are sharing such a good or informative content about Quality Assurance Training.Thanks for the publish great ideas in this blog!

  • Well, here are sharing such a great and helpful information regarding Quality Assurance (QA). Thanks for the publish great ideas in this blog!

  • 我正在与QA和QC上的歧义进行道路劝告监督。你真的解决了我的困惑。现在他们两个对我来说都很清楚。
    God bless you so much.

  • As you said ,”In quality assurance, you plan to avoid the defect in the planning phase. In quality control, you try to find defects and correct them while making the product.”. Pmbook says quality assurance is execution process

    • In quality assurance, during the execution phase you check that if the project team is following your plans and procedure correctly.

      The statement is corrected.

  • Sir you said that in quality assurance we plan for processes, how can we say that quality assurance is an execution process

  • Thx. This post is indeed informative and crystal clear. Exactly what I needed as I start my journey as a quality assurer

  • If Risk Audit is done in the Controlling group, why is Quality Audit done in Executing?

    I am taking the exam next week, thanks for your blogs!

    • Quality audit it a quality assurance function not quality control, that is why it is performed in execution phase.

      • Fahad,

        Could you please contras Risk Audit with Quality Audit? I understand “audit” to be more of an inspection, or a reactive task compared to a proactive task. Thus I would assume all audits to be in the control process group.

        谢谢你!

    • Fahad,

      After working on your sample questions from your eBook, I realize Procurement Audit is in the Close Procurements group, so now there is an audit activity in three different groups. I understand now, but maybe a discussion on the different types of audits might be helpful.

      再次感谢!

  • Hi Fahad

    Really like your clear and relevant article on quality assurance.

    Quality assurance might be compared to the direct and manage process of quality control.

  • Hi Fahad,

    Thanks for this well-written article, it’s straight-forward and easier to grasp the key differences than PMBOK. Your website is a great tool for me in preparing PMP exam.

  • i am looking for an affordable online courses on Quality management, six sigma or any other related courses. kindly provide links.

  • I am reading all your PMP Certification Exam Study Notes and they are very useful and clear. I am preparing to take the exam in about 2 months, I will read every note but if you have more tips, I would really appreciate them!

    Thanks for help us!

    Pura vida (I am from Costa Rica)

    • You are welcome William.

      You can download my free eBook on A2z on PMP exam and go through it. This book will help you in preparing the exam.

      让我知道您是否有任何特定问题。

  • Wow! I just have to say how impressed I am with the way you explain the differences clearly and easily.
    I am so grateful for stumbling upon your blog before my exam in 3 days! Thank you!

  • 你好法哈德,

    QA process using any tool of Quality management and control quality process.

    My query is : whether Quality Assurance process is using 7 basic quality tools(any of 7) ?

    • These processes are interdependent on each other, so they may use any tool depending on the situation.

  • Assalaamu alaikkum Fahad,
    I just joined in one of the IT company as QA Engineer. The company develops website required for one of the university. There is no QA department as of now. As QA Engineer what are the process that i should introduce here.

    Thanks and Regards
    Basheer

    • wa-assalam basheer,

      首先,您应该检查所有程序。必须有一些程序。去检查这些程序,并检查他们是否遵循这些程序。

  • Today I can say I am QA/QC inspector but after reading your blog not before.
    我喜欢您的全面词,这些话语非常简单且对所有人都很了解。
    我爱 ?使用Fahad Usmani博客。

  • Going for exam in next 2 days…. I must say your articles and blogs are really helping thanks for great work!

  • Hi Fahad,
    Just wanted to say the super work you are doing by providing clear info in your blogs. I just came to know about this website yesterday, one day before my exam… I spent about 2 – 3 hours reading all your articles, which made concepts crystal clear and I passed PMP today. Keep up the excellent work :)

    问候,
    Prasanna Kumar KR, PMP

  • Hi Fahad,

    I’m a Recruitment Consultant in the oil & gas industry.

    This blog is fantastic and very well explained!!

    Thank you very much!

    问候,
    Abhilash VJ

    • Hi Abhilash vj

      Iam glad to see you comments on qa and qc. Its clear understand that qa works of to see that the product is defect free.While qc is working to make sure the product to produced is to free defect according to the custome requests.
      Lastly have liked what you are doing oil and gas quality engineer.

      Regards

  • Help me to answer this question …..?

    乔是一个项目经理在一个工业设计project. He has found a pattern of defects occurring in all of his projects over the past few years and he thinks there might be a problem in the process his company is using that is causing it. He uses Ishikawa diagrams to come up with the root cause for this trend over projects so that he can make recommendations for process changes to avoid this problem in the future. What process is he doing?

    A. Plan Quality

    B. Perform Quality Assurance

    C. Perform Quality Control

    D. Qualitative Risk Analysis

    I found that answer is B, but why ?….In PMBOK, under Quality Control (8.3.2.1) cause and effect daigram’s are explained …..so doesn’t it fall under Quality control …?

    Thanks in advance.

    • See what the Joe is doing. He is only reviewing the processes used by his company so that the defects (occurred in past projects) could be removed. This is the job of quality assurance to develop a process in such way to avoid any defect.

      In Quality Control Process, the project manager takes the sample or randomly checks the process in running project.

      Therefore, the answer B is correct.

  • Fahad,

    Thanks a lot for your reply. It clears my doubt.

    What is your suggestion on taking on-line training? Now, I am doing the preparation on my own and don’t know whether i am in the correct direction. Any suggestions you can give would be appreciated.

    Thanks.

  • Fahad,

    I do find your articles good. For some reason, I am not able to understand this article. Can you please help me?

    I understand that the QA ensures that the processes are set correctly to develop the product and the QC ensures that the final product is as per the requirements or not. Is my understanding correct?

    I did not understand how QA takes inputs from QC and QC takes inputs from QA. Can you give me an example? Thanks for your help.

    • Hello Ravindra,

      Your understanding is correct.

      Quality Assurance develops the procedures, hence input for the Quality Control process.

      During Quality Control, if you see that certain procedure needs some improvement or causing any trouble, then you can provide feedback to Quality Assurance to improve the procedures, hence input to Quality Assurance.

  • Hello Fahad
    I passed the PMP in first attempt. Your blog has helped me a lot in preparing for the exam. Thank you very much. Yours is an outstanding blog and very informative for all PMP aspirant and to others who are interested in PM. Well written and informative. Still i’m following your blog for latest articles on PMP. All the best and expecting more from you.
    Regards
    Saleem Angillath

    • Congratulations Saleem for passing the PMP Exam!

      I hope this certification will help you to grow your career. Thanks for sharing your happiness here at PMSC.

      Stay in touch.

      Fahad

    • Thanks Fahad,
      I can imagine that I can apply QA without QC, but I cannot imagine to apply QC without QA. What can I check or inspect if it’s not defined well ( which is a QA step) ?

      • Hello Sameh. both processes complement each other.

        I did not understand your question well. Please elaborate.

  • Thank you for posting your blog and sharing your insights and well organized thoughts and explanations. I wish I had come across your blog earlier in my travels, for today I failed my first attempt at passing the PMP exam. I was ill prepared, was too dependent on self-study via an internet website and life happens too often when one is trying to dig a hole and study in it…life always finds you to drag you away from all the fun of studying. Anyhoo, love your writing style which is not too pedantic and is not a repeat of what is found in the PMBOK which is a dread of a read for me. I never took the time to really discern between the two and it came to haunt me today.

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