Answers :
- Plan-Do-Check-Act(PDCA) cycle
- Benefits of quality management to an organization
- Product quality standards
- Inputs to quality assurance process
Plan-Do-Check-Act(PDCA) cycle: PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act). Fig. shows the Deming cycle where:
P – Devise a plan
D – Execute the plan
C – Check the result
A – Take the necessary action
Benefits of quality management to an organization: There are several benefits of QM to an organization.The basis of a quality organization is the mutually beneficial customer and supplier relationship. Quality is important for any business because it helps in maintaining customer relationship, which results in increased sales. In addition, it helps in increasing customer loyalty towards organizational products, which helps in retaining existing customers. The satisfied customers are the biggest assets to any organization. The new or potential customers are influenced by the satisfied customer (informal marketing is more effective that formal marketing. For example, the buyer of a car would always ask feedback from the existing car owner).
Product quality standards: An important outcome of the project quality planning process is the identification of product quality standards and specifications applicable to projects. These standards and specifications are the explicit targets to be met because they are the quantifiable definitions of quality requirements. The requirements documentation might contain this data as specified by the customer. In case it is not explicitly stated by the customer, the project team should identify the relevant standards and applicable specifications. For some requirements, the specification stated in the requirements documentation might require an operational definition and identification of performance targets (or quality objectives) to verify their conformance to the requirements.
The standards and specifications finalised as part of the project quality planning process serve as a foundation for subsequent quality management processes, including project quality assurance and project quality control. These standards pertain to the application area of the project. For example, there are various ISO standards that deal with the construction industry. The ISO technical committee ISO/TC 59 (on buildings and civil engineering works) has developed more than 100 international standards that are applicable to various aspects of the construction industry. Similarly, there are various standards related to the software development process. The ISO/IEC 12207 deals with the software lifecycle processes. The IEEE 1012 deals with the standards for system, software, and hardware verification and validation requirements.
The project team should identify relevant standards applicable for the project and specify them as part of the project plan. The project team should clearly specify the customer’s quality expectations and acceptance criteria as part of the project quality plan.
Inputs to quality assurance process: Quality assurance process depends on four main inputs, as shown in Fig.
PQMP: The PQMP documents the outcomes of project quality planning. It describes the various quality planning, quality assurance, and control activities that are required for quality management of the project.
Process improvement plan: The process improvement plan is an output of project quality planning. It is used to assure and improve the capabilities of processes adopted in projects.
Quality metrics: Quality metrics provide quality attributes. They measure and validate the quality of products.
Quality control measurements: Quality assurance processes require process attribute measurements, which are provided by established quality control processes. Monitoring and measurement processes provide the measurement data that serves as an input to quality assurance.