Give them quality. That’s the best kind of advertising."
- Milton Hersey
Quality assurance assists organisations in fulfilling the demands and expectations of clients. An organisation that offers high quality to customers builds trust. This advantage makes the business competitive in the market. If quality assurance is done properly, it will offer confidence and allow the organisation to market their products with less uncertainty. So, what exactly is quality assurance? What are its processes? And what is the difference between quality assurance and quality control?
Quality assurance business definition
Quality assurance (QA) is a systematic process of making sure that a product/service fulfils given requirements.
Quality assurance in business determines and maintains given specifications for developing and producing reliable products. QA systems are aimed to boost customer confidence and an organisation’s credibility, while enhancing work processes and proficiency. This allows the organisation to compete better with its rivals.
Quality assurance process
The four stages of quality assurance are as follows:
Stage 1: PLAN
In this first crucial stage, a quality assurance technician or manager will determine clear-cut goals to produce high-quality products and suggest suitable processes to execute those objectives. At this stage, the business can predict any potential problems.
Stage 2: Do
As the name suggests, this stage allows the implementation of the processes identified in the previous phase. Variations and tests can be done prior to the collection of data to determine their efficacy. These tests need to be done on a smaller and controllable scale.
Stage 3: Check
The outcomes of the aforementioned variations are evaluated and a comparison made with expected results to deduce similarities and differences. Analysis of such data will assist in identifying whether the products fulfil expectations and requirements. If they do match expectations then quality assurance experts will go ahead with the final stage. However, if expectations are not matched, then the experts will go back to the initial stage.
Stage 4: Act/Adjust
In this stage, it is time to take post-research action and apply modifications to the project. Undeniably, nothing guarantees that there will be no new problems in the execution stage. Should they arise, this cycle can be reiterated to make quality improvements.
Quality assurance methods
In order to make sure that the quality assurance process works well, certain important tools and methods are usually used:
Quality Assurance: Identifying processes
The act of defining organisational processes and standards plays a significant role in the initial stage of a project. These processes will steer the development team onto the right path.
Quality Assurance: Quality audit
This systematic method is applied in determining how the outlined processes and standards perform in the development and design period.
Quality Assurance: Control charts
Quality assurance engineers usually use control charts to view process changes, then assess if they are stable in comparison to historical data. In addition, these charts provide a foundation for predicting potential results and ascertaining whether a project should make basic alterations or avoid specific problems.
Quality Assurance: Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a common quality improvement tool that utilizes major performance metrics to find the strengths and weaknesses of procedures.
Benchmarking involves comparing the organisation's performance with industry or market standards.
Benchmarking also evaluates prevailing processes in comparison to that of rivals/historic data and hence assists quality assurance experts in recommending suitable actions for improving quality.
Quality Assurance: Cause and effect diagrams
Cause and effect diagrams, also called Fishbone or Ishikawa diagrams, require members to brainstorm and outline all the possible causes of a problem.
Quality assurance example
The following is the example of quality assurance in manufacturing:
Quality Assurance: Manufacturing
Quality assurance in manufacturing involves averting errors and imperfections in products/services. Some instances of quality assurance employed in manufacturing involve inspections to check the quality of the facilities and products. Others may involve process planning, checklists, and audits to oversee whether the production fulfils requirements.
The main principles of Toyota’s quality assurance system include ‘customer first’ and ‘quality first'. These principles were formed when the organisation was established. The aim of the quality assurance team is to make sure that each vehicle that comes out of any of their worldwide factories fulfils the organisation’s high standards for safety and quality. There are around 2000 checks performed on every vehicle prior to signing it off as ready for delivery.
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of an intelligent effort."
- John Ruskin, Philosopher
Quality assurance vs quality control
The following table shows the difference between quality assurance and quality control.
Quality control is a process via which an organisation makes sure that the quality of the product is maintained or enhanced. It comprises testing units and ascertaining whether requirements for the finished product are met.
Quality assurance | Quality control |
The objective of QA is to avoid defects. | The objective of QC is the identification and improvement of the defects. |
QA is a method to manage quality. | QC is a technique for the verification of quality. |
QA does not include the execution of the program. | QC always includes the execution of the program. |
QA for instance: verification | QC for instance: validation |
QA ensures that the right thing is being done. | QC ensures the results of what is being done are what is anticipated. |
Over time, organisations have acknowledged the importance of quality assurance. Every organisation wants to deliver the best possible high-quality product to its customers. Quality assurance assists organisations in achieving this, thereby facilitating a loyal customer base.
Quality Assurance - Key takeaways
Quality assurance (QA) assists organisations in fulfilling the demands and expectations of the clients.
Quality assurance is a systematic process of ascertaining whether a product/service fulfils the given requirements.
QA systems are aimed to boost customer confidence and an organisation’s credibility, while enhancing work processes and proficiency, and facilitating the organisation to better compete with its rivals.
The quality assurance process includes planning, doing, checking, and acting/adjusting.
Quality assurance methods include quality audits, control charts, benchmarking, and cause and effect diagrams.
Quality control is a process by which an organisation makes sure that the quality of the product is maintained or enhanced. It is comprised of testing units, making sure the products are within the range of requirements for the finished product.
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