Chapter 7 Quality Management

1. Chapter 7Quality Management Achieving technical performance and customer satisfaction

2. Chapter overview Planning for quality management Performing quality assurance Quality assurance tools Quality control processes Benefits of quality control Enabling continuous improvement

3. Defining quality Quality management has a strategic and central presence within and across the project organisation, as it is: defined externally (or internally) from the client’s perspective linked with the triple bottom line: - social - environmental - economic associated with a demonstrated, organisation-wide commitment. Quality may be any of the following: performance (essential operating attribute) features (secondary operating attribute) reliability (frequency of failure) conformance (matching required specification) durability (ensuing product or service life serviceability (speed, courtesy and competence of repair) aesthetics (outward appearance, finish and fit) perception (acuity, feelings or reputation)

4. Planning for quality management Ideally, the quality management plan will formally collate the ‘right’ approach to be followed by the project organisation in meeting the project’s objectives. Capturing the relevant quality requirements, standards and other measureable expectations, the plan will document how compliance will be demonstrated and validated throughout the project lifecycle.

5. Performing quality assurance Much like a declaration or guarantee that the overall project performance and result is evaluated on a regular basis against relevant quality standards, assurance may involve: adoption of an internationally certifiable process reflecting best practice a spirit of experimentation and a creative climate internal systems, procedures and practices to build quality into the start of the project processes to eliminate waste, variation and excess avenues for open, honest and constructive feedback opportunities for continuous improvement transparent relationships between internal and external clients and suppliers

6. Quality assurance tools Control charts Flowcharts Pareto charts Histograms Scatter diagrams Network diagrams Affinity diagrams Checklists Statistical sampling

7. Quality control processes Quality control monitors specific task and project results to identify, measure and eliminate the causes of unsatisfactory performance, while also ensuring that quality compliance is always demonstrated and achieved. Remember, control implies measurement. Quality control is used through the implementation and finalisation stages of the project to ‘…formally demonstrate, with reliable data…that acceptance criteria have been met’.

8. Benefits of quality control Below are some of the more common examples of what quality control can deliver: elimination of rework completion of work-in-progress confirmation of acceptance documented quality improvement completed checklists process adjustments

9. Enabling continuous improvement The typical tools of continuous improvement commonly include: regular performance reporting meetings and debriefs decision gates and approval processes walkthroughs and peer reviews scenario analysis evaluation reports suggestion boxes user feedback

10. Review questions Define the term quality and its relevance to project management. What intrinsic value does quality planning have on your project? What role does quality assurance play in dealing with the associated quality costs? What systematic tools and techniques are applicable in reporting direct and indirect quality costs? How is quality control different to quality assurance?

11. Group learning activities Discuss how quality can mean different things to different people Debate whether quality assurance can in fact be guaranteed (as a practice) throughout the project Compare and contrast some of the assurance and control tools in delivering project quality Identify additional costs of quality and how these can be negated, if not avoided altogether Identify what continuous improvement opportunity exists in learner’s current projects

12. Assessment options Develop a quality management plan reflecting organisational commitment to quality throughout the project Critique a range of quality assurance (control) tools assessing their application and effectiveness in assuring and controlling project quality Create a continuous improvement register/log top capture continuous improvement ideas and initiatives Short answer questions Multiple choice questions