PROJECT QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality assurance is the maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product,

especially by means of attention to every stage of the process of delivery or production.
Quality assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes or defects in manufactured products
and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers
A quality assurance system can help your company identify weaknesses and inconsistencies in
the service or production method.
IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN A PROJECT
Scrap Reduction: Quality assurance systems identify areas that result in scrap, or products that
don't meet company specifications. When the company reduces its number of defective products,
it experiences scrap reduction. Scrap reduction results in savings; identification of defects early
in the production process decreases the cost to the company, because fewer man-hours and
materials have been used.
Time Efficiency: A quality assurance team can reduce the amount of inspections required in a
manufacturing organization. The quality assurance team is separate from the production group,
and can therefore be objective in identifying time-wasting areas during production. They also
ensure that production workers don't use valuable production time to inspect or evaluate the
production system.
Increased Customer Satisfaction: The quality assurance system improves the quality of
products and services, which increases customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction leads to
repeat business, customer referrals, increased sales and profits. A quality assurance system
eliminates defective products and continuously evaluates the process to improve products and
services. Quality assurance can result in a consistently reliable product or service. Increased
reliability in the end product results in customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Companies with
reliable quality gain a favorable reputation in the industry.
Improved Employee Morale: Employee morale is higher in a company using a quality
assurance system, since the organization is more likely to run well, and actively seek methods for
improvement. For example, a system of quality assurance, such as Total Quality Management,
involves employees in the process of quality improvement. Employees become stakeholders in
the organization and its success. Improved employee morale results in less absenteeism and
turnover among workers.
Enhanced Reputation: Delivering high-quality products enhances the reputation of the
organization. Customers are more likely to trust and recommend companies that consistently
deliver reliable and error-free products.
Continuous Improvement: QA processes include feedback mechanisms that allow for
continuous improvement. By analyzing defects and performance metrics, organizations can
identify areas for enhancement and refine their processes over time.
Increased Productivity: QA practices such as automation and standardized processes can
increase productivity by reducing manual effort and streamlining workflows. This allows teams
to focus on delivering value rather than dealing with preventable issues.
KEY ACTIVITIES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE:

Develop a Quality Assurance Plan

The first of the Quality Assurance activities includes planning the overall process for assuring
quality. Its purpose is to formulate a Quality Assurance plan template which is a highly efficient
tool to assure quality in a project and surveil problems and drawbacks that may come up during
the project execution process.
Audit Project Quality
A quality Audit is a standard, systematic review of project activities to recognize whether these
activities are executed in line with business processes and tactical decisions. The goal of
executing a project quality audit is to show the missing or inefficient policies, procedures and/or
processes that decreases quality levels and increases the probability of project failure.
Analyze Project Quality
Quality Analysis is a group of steps to inspect and investigate a particular project activity and
recognizes what would improve the activity’s value. The objective of project quality analysis is
to review quality levels and define required enhancements in the current quality management
framework.
Review Project Activities
Once the Quality Audit and Analyses are executed the next step would be to introduce the
recommended changes in project processes through project process review. This will complete
the Quality Assurance process cycle.
Quality assurance examples in project management
Here are some examples of QA practices commonly used in project management:
 Developing a Quality Management Plan (QMP) that outlines how quality will be
ensured throughout the project lifecycle, including processes, standards, responsibilities,
and resources.
 Establishing quality standards, criteria, and metrics for evaluating project
deliverables, such as performance, reliability, functionality, and user experience.
 Process [Link] opportunities for process improvement to enhance
efficiency and effectiveness. This may involve implementing methodologies such as Six
Sigma or Lean to streamline workflows and reduce defects.
 Conducting regular audits and reviews of project processes, documentation, and
deliverables to ensure compliance with quality standards and requirements. Identifying
non-conformances and recommending corrective actions.
Providing training and guidance to project team members on quality management principles,
processes, and tools. Ensuring that team members understand their roles and responsibilities in
maintaining project quality

PROCESS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

 To deliver products and services with consistent results, you can implement the Shewhart Cycle,
which uses four steps: Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA).
 In the Plan step, state the desired goals for your product and how they will be achieved.
 The Do step is your implementation of the plan. Once the product is in production, it is
time to ;
 Check to make sure it is meeting the standard you set in the Plan step.
 Act requires you and your team to make necessary corrections when the product is not
meeting the correct standards.

1. Defining Quality
Quality assurance relies on a strict definition of what is acceptable and not acceptable from a
product or service. E.g. A cleaning service may have a standard that calls for bathroom mirrors
to be cleaned free of smudges; a fingerprint left behind falls outside of the standard. It is your
responsibility to your company's success to make sure that every employee understands the
quality definitions and how he is to make certain those standards are met.
2. Measuring Quality
Measuring the quality that is delivered is critical for consistent results. Managers and supervisors
should check an employee's work as it relates to quality standards. When quality falls short,
supervisors are responsible for making the change required to bring quality back to the proper
standard.
3. Improving Quality
To keep your business on the cutting edge, you should always be asking the question, "How can
we make this better?" By tweaking the process here and there or by raising standards a small bit
 each year, you will see your overall business quality improve to levels greater than you ever
imagined.
1. Select the relevant standard or specification.
2. Using operational definitions, define an activity that will collect data and compare results to
the plan. Develop and apply metrics
3. Define and provide resources.
4. Assign responsibility to a specific entity.
5. Assemble activities into a quality assurance plan

Tools and Techniques for Project Quality Assurance

 Cost-benefit analysis: Determine whether cost to improve a process is worth the benefit.
 Cost of quality: Determine whether you can invest in prevention costs to reduce the cost of
failure.
 Pareto charts: Rank those areas with the least-favorable outcomes to apply corrective action to
those areas first.
The Pareto chart operates according to the 80-20 rule. This rule assumes that in any process, 80%
of a process’s or system’s problems are caused by 20% of major factors, often referred to as the
“vital few.” The remaining 20% of problems are caused by 80% of minor factors.
A combination of a bar and line graph, the Pareto chart depicts individual values in descending
order using bars, while the cumulative total is represented by the line.
The goal of the Pareto chart is to highlight the relative importance of a variety of parameters,
allowing you to identify and focus your efforts on the factors with the biggest impact on a
specific part of a process or system.

 Cause-and-effect diagrams: Use to determine the drivers of process problems and identify areas
where you can make adjustments to improve performance.
 Histograms: The most commonly used graph for showing frequency distributions, or how often
each different value in a set of data occurs.
It is a type of bar chart that visualizes both attribute and variable data of a product or process and
also assists users to show the distribution of data and the amount of variation within a process.
Quantitatively identify the impact of each source of errors or defect.

 Inspection: Inspect a process to determine whether it’s functioning optimally.

 Flowcharting: Create a flow chart of a process to find redundant work or steps that don’t add
value.
The system flowchart is the most common type, which outlines the logical steps to complete a
process. By documenting these logical steps, teams can identify where quality problems might
occur and develop approaches to manage them. Flowcharts also help create a repeatable process
 Benchmarking: Benchmark process-improvement goals to improve process results.
 Brainstorming is a method where a team generates a large number of ideas in a short amount of
time, typically without criticism or evaluation. This technique is useful for uncovering novel
solutions to problems, whether technical or non-technical. The functional analysis diagram can
help classify and organize the output of brainstorming sessions, providing a structured way to
explore the "why's" and "how's" of ideas.
✅ Advantages:
1. Encourages Creativity – Generates innovative quality solutions.
2. Fast Idea Generation – Quickly identifies multiple improvement strategies.
3. Enhances Collaboration – Promotes teamwork and engagement.
4. Uncovers Hidden Issues – Helps detect overlooked quality risks.
5. Flexible & Cost-Effective – Requires minimal resources and applies across industries.
❌ Disadvantages:
1. Can Be Unstructured – Without guidance, discussions may lack focus.
2. Risk of Groupthink – Strong personalities may dominate ideas.
3. Time-Consuming – Filtering ideas can slow decision-making.
4. Lacks Data-Driven Insights – Ideas may not be based on facts or analysis.
5. Requires Follow-Up – Without action plans, ideas may never be implemented.
INPUTS TO QUALITY ASSURANCE PERFORMANCE
Inputs for the Performance of Quality Assurance process come from the project management
plan, the Plan Quality Management, and the Control Quality processes. Here are brief
descriptions of the inputs:
 Quality management plan: Describes the quality assurance approach, including processes,
procedures, methods, and tools that will be used for quality assurance.
 Process improvement plan: The Performance of Quality Assurance process is the umbrella for
improving processes for the organization and the project.
 Quality metrics: These are specific measurements that a project, product, service, or result
needs to meet to be considered in compliance. Metrics can also describe the measurement
process or tool used to measure the outcome.
 Quality control measurements: The outcomes from the measurements taken in the Control
Quality process.
These are an output from the perform quality control process, and consist of important
documented measurements of quality levels and compliance.
 These measurements are derived by inspecting and reviewing all project deliverables to ensure
they comply with specifications, as well as coming from potential areas to improve any aspect of
the management of the project.
QUALITY ASSURANCE OUTPUTS
The intended outcome of quality audit and process improvement activities is to reduce the cost of
quality and/or to increase customer satisfaction. The outputs from the perform quality assurance
process include;
1. Change requests.
Since this process carries out analysis and evaluation then it is normal to expect that
change requests would be a natural outcome of this process, and as such change requests
is the main output. Most change requests from this process would be about procedural
changes.
Change requests can take the form of
 Changing a policy
 Changing a procedure
 Changing a process
 Corrective action
 Preventive action
 Changing the quality management plan

2. Project management plan updates.

As a result of this process the way in which the project is being managed is likely to change.
Within the project management plan is the quality management plan and the process
improvement plan and one or both of these two documents are highly likely to be updated.
3. Project document updates.
Changes to quality can impact just about any element of the project including budget, schedule,
scope, risk, resources, ect. So therefore any particular knowledge area and their related plans
may need to be updated as a result of performing this process.
Types of Project Document Updates in Quality Management
When quality changes occur, various project documents may need updates to reflect adjustments
in budget, schedule, scope, risk, and resources. The key types of project document updates
include:
1. Quality Reports
 Purpose: Documents findings from quality audits, inspections, and control activities.
 Updates: Include new quality standards, corrective actions, or defect analysis results.
2. Risk Register
 Purpose: Identifies potential risks and their impact on quality.
 Updates: Adjustments to risk assessments due to new quality issues or mitigation strategies.
3. Issue Log
 Purpose: Tracks project issues, including quality-related problems.
 Updates: Addition of new quality issues, resolutions, or escalation details.
4. Lessons Learned Register
 Purpose: Captures insights and best practices from quality processes.
 Updates: New lessons from defects, corrective actions, and quality improvements.
5. Change Log
 Purpose: Tracks approved and pending changes related to quality.
 Updates: Modifications to quality management processes, standards, or deliverables.
6. Test and Inspection Records
 Purpose: Documents results of quality tests and inspections.
 Updates: New testing methods, defect tracking, and corrective action details.
7. Scope Statement and Requirements Documentation
 Purpose: Defines project deliverables and quality expectations.
 Updates: Changes in quality standards, revised acceptance criteria, or customer expectations.
8. Schedule and Cost Documents
 Purpose: Tracks project timelines and budgets.
 Updates: Adjustments due to quality changes impacting cost or schedule.
9. Performance Reports
 Purpose: Monitors project progress, including quality performance.
 Updates: New quality metrics, compliance levels, or improvement actions.
10. Resource Assignments
 Purpose: Details team roles and responsibilities.
 Updates: Changes in personnel, tools, or training due to quality requirements.

4. Organizational process assets updates.

These consist of any assets which can be used for future projects and as such should be updated
whenever such practices are implemented or indeed if any new information has been learned.
CHALLENGES FACING QUALITY ASSURANCE IN A PROJECT
1. Too much theory
Organizations that are striving for perfection often go overboard. In an attempt to implement the
“perfect” Quality Management System, they often focus more on theory than on putting theory
into practice.
The theory is useless when you don‟t put it into practice..
2. Too much documentation
Many organizations create way too many documents; sometimes even to such an extent that the
documentation starts hindering the functioning of the Quality Management System. In such
cases, employees can get lost in the documentation and they may lose interest in the QMS. The
objective of a QMS is not to create paperwork, but to formalize the right information (to be more
efficient) at the right time.
3. Too many details
Organizations often want their documentation to include as many details as possible. Evidently,
this takes time and resources and will result in a more difficult application of the documentation.
Think lean: include all and only the most important information at the right time.
4. Too much rigidity
If your Quality Management System is too rigid and inflexible it will be difficult to improve
when necessary. As a result, it may not guarantee the best results for the future.
Customer requirements and organizations are constantly evolving. Therefore, Quality
Management Systems must evolve as well.
5. Not enough implication and communication
From time to time, a Quality Management System is only supported by the Quality Manager(s).
In such cases, colleagues often think that the QMS „belongs‟ to the people who created it and -as
a consequence – they don‟t actively contribute to the quality system. Instead, they just „follow‟
the QMS whenever necessary.
Make sure your staff members clearly understand their role and responsibilities in the Quality
Management System
6. Not suitable enough
Sometimes a Quality Management System is „delivered‟ as a „ready to use‟ system. However, if
a QMS is out of sync with the company‟s strategy and operations, it will be very difficult to get
the results you want.
Quality Management Systems such as ISO 9001 are based on the obligation of results but not on
the obligation of how to reach them. It is up to the company to choose the way that suits them
most, so set up your Quality Management System in a way that fully supports your staff,
processes and business.
7. Not enough attention to customers
We often see that companies are focused on quality but not so much on customer satisfaction.
Without your customers, there is no business .It is necessary to know your customers‟
requirements and expectations and to measure your
customers‟ satisfaction continuously
QUALITY ASSURANCE GROUP
The Quality Assurance (QA) group plays a crucial role in ensuring that project deliverables meet
the required quality standards. Quality assurance focuses on preventing defects in the products or
services produced by the project.
AQA GROUP IS A TEAM DIDICATED TO ENSURING PROJECT MEETS ESTABLISHED
QUALITY STANDARDS BY ACTIVELY MONITORIN PROCESSES,IDENTIFYIN
POTENTIAL ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTIN PREVENTIVE MEASURES THROUGHOUT
PROJECT LIFECYCLE TO URANTEE HIG UALITY DELIVERABLES OFTEN THROUGH
TESTING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES.
MEMBERS OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE GROUP
The composition of a Quality Assurance (QA) group in project quality management can vary
depending on the size and complexity of the project, as well as organizational structure and
industry standards. Here are some common members:

Quality Assurance Manager: Oversees the entire QA process, including developing strategies,
coordinating activities, and ensuring adherence to quality standards.
Quality Assurance Engineers/Analysts: Responsible for implementing quality assurance
processes, conducting audits, analyzing data, and identifying areas for improvement.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): Provide domain-specific expertise related to the project's
industry or technology, contributing insights into quality requirements and best practices.
Quality Control Inspectors: Responsible for inspecting project deliverables and processes to
ensure they meet quality standards and specifications.
Testers: Conduct testing activities, including functional testing, performance testing, and user
acceptance testing, to validate that project deliverables meet quality requirements.
Documentation Specialists: Ensure that project documentation, including quality plans,
procedures, and records, is accurate, up-to-date, and compliant with standards and regulations.
Training Coordinators: Organize and deliver training sessions to educate project team
members on quality management processes, tools, and best practices.
Quality Assurance Auditors: Conduct internal audits to assess compliance with quality
standards, identify non-conformities, and recommend corrective actions
ROLES AND ACTIVITIES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE GROUP
1. Assist in the preparation of the Quality Plan for each project
2. Assist the product managers and related stakeholders in the development of test
procedures or whatever is needed to complete the preparation of Quality Control
procedures.
3. Ensure that the stakeholders’ requirements from all products and services are well
documented and are conducive to being verified and audited against the final products or
services.
4. Review and audit the Quality Control procedures on a regular basis to ensure that they
will actually trap any variance between documented requirements and the final products
or services.
5. Conduct additional audits or QC reviews by demand of the project manager or because of
an event driven cause
6. Document all reviews and audits performed
7. Provide feedback to the project manager on a regular basis or on demand
8. Assist various stakeholders in the process of improving production processes, QC
processes or any other aspects of the ICT resources that need improvement.
9. Recommend updates to the Quality Plan to treat problems at hand
10. Keep a noncompliance log and ensure that recorded compliance issues are resolved and
corrected
QUALITY ASSURANCE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) is a systematic approach to identifying,
addressing, and improving quality-related processes, procedures, and outcomes within a project
or organization.
A Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) enables an evaluation of the internal
audit activity's conformance with the Definition of Internal Auditing and the International
Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (Standards) and an evaluation of
whether internal auditors apply the Code of Ethics. The program also assesses the efficiency and
effectiveness of the internal audit activity and identifies opportunities for improvement. (From
the Institute of Internal Auditors)
A quality assurance improvement plan should include at least the following elements:
1. The work breakdown structure reference number for the task concerned
2. A statement of the requirement (usually from the customer)
 3. A statement of the specification that is specific and measurable
4. A description of the assurance activity (what is to be done)
5. Schedule information (when it is to be done).
6. Designation of the responsible entity (who will do it)

IMPORTANCE OF A QAIP IN PROJECT QUALITY ASSURANCE:

 Enhanced Quality Performance: A QAIP helps identify and address deficiencies in

quality assurance practices, leading to improved overall quality performance within the
project or organization.
 Alignment with Stakeholder Expectations: By focusing on continuous improvement, a
QAIP ensures that project deliverables meet or exceed stakeholder expectations and
requirements.
 Risk Reduction: Implementing improvement initiatives identified in a QAIP helps
mitigate risks associated with quality-related issues, such as defects, rework, and
customer dissatisfaction.
 Resource Optimization: A QAIP helps optimize the allocation of resources by
identifying areas where resources can be redirected or reallocated to improve quality
assurance practices effectively.
 Continuous Improvement Culture: Establishing a QAIP fosters a culture of continuous
improvement within the project team and organization, driving ongoing enhancements to
quality assurance practices.
 Competitive Advantage: Organizations that prioritize quality assurance and implement
effective improvement initiatives gain a competitive advantage by delivering superior
products or services to customers.
Quality Assurance Improvement Program in a Project
A Quality Assurance (QA) Improvement Program is a structured approach to enhancing
quality processes, ensuring continuous improvement, and maintaining compliance with industry
standards throughout the project lifecycle. Below is a framework for implementing a QA
improvement program in a project.
1. Establish Quality Objectives
 Define clear, measurable quality goals aligned with project requirements and stakeholder expectations.
 Example: A construction project might set a goal that 90% of materials must pass quality inspection on
the first attempt.
2. Develop a Quality Management Plan
 Document quality policies, standards, and procedures to guide quality control and assurance.
 Include risk assessment, compliance requirements, and corrective action procedures.
3. Implement Standardized QA Processes
 Adopt best practices, such as:
o ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems)
o Lean and Six Sigma (for efficiency and defect reduction)
o Total Quality Management (TQM) (for continuous improvement)
 Example: A software development project might use Automated Testing to ensure code quality before
deployment.
4. Conduct Regular Quality Audits & Inspections
 Perform internal audits to identify process gaps and areas for improvement.
 Example: A manufacturing plant may schedule weekly inspections to check for defects in raw materials.
5. Train Project Teams on Quality Standards
 Conduct training sessions for employees on quality best practices, new standards, and compliance
requirements.
 Example: A healthcare project might require all staff to complete certification in Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMP).
6. Implement Feedback & Continuous Improvement Mechanisms
 Use customer feedback, team evaluations, and defect reports to refine QA processes.
 Example: In IT projects, Agile retrospectives help teams learn from past mistakes and improve future
deliverables.
7. Monitor & Evaluate Quality Performance Metrics
 Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as:
o Defect rates (e.g., percentage of faulty products)
o Customer satisfaction scores
o Process efficiency (time taken per quality inspection)
 Example: A logistics company may track on-time delivery rates as a measure of service quality.
8. Implement Corrective & Preventive Actions (CAPA)
 Identify root causes of defects or failures.
 Develop action plans to prevent recurrence.
 Example: If a construction project experiences frequent concrete cracking, modifying the material mix
and improving curing methods could be a preventive action.
9. Leverage Technology for Quality Improvement
 Use AI-powered defect detection, real-time data analytics, and digital dashboards to monitor quality.
 Example: In an automotive plant, IoT sensors can detect faulty assembly processes in real-time.
10. Benchmark & Adopt Industry Best Practices
 Compare QA performance with industry standards and competitors.
 Example: A pharmaceutical company might benchmark drug manufacturing processes against World
Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.