Manage Quality

 

Notes on Manage Quality (with Examples)

1. Introduction to Manage Quality

• Previously known as Quality Assurance in earlier PMBOK editions.
• Focuses on ensuring quality processes are followed correctly.
• Quality ≠ Inspection; it’s about preventing defects before they happen.
• Example:
  • If a team is painting a wall, we don’t wait until they finish to check quality. Instead, we observe the process to ensure they’re using the right paint, technique, and tools.

2. Purpose of This Process

• Ensures the processes used in execution result in a quality product.
• Increases the probability of meeting quality objectives.
• Identifies ineffective processes and causes of poor quality.
• Example:
  • If a coder follows poor coding practices, the final product may have bugs. This process ensures best practices are followed from the start.

3. Key Activities in Manage Quality

• Review work processes (e.g., Are the coding standards being followed?).
• Identify potential quality issues before they happen.
• Improve processes based on findings.
• Example:
  • A car manufacturer notices that a faulty assembly step leads to defects. Instead of fixing each defective car, they improve the assembly process.

4. Key Inputs in This Process

• Quality Management Plan (Defines quality standards).
• Project Documents (Includes lessons learned, risk register, etc.).

5. Tools Used in Manage Quality

1) Quality Tools

Several tools help analyze quality problems and improve processes.

✅ Cause and Effect Diagram (Ishikawa / Fishbone Diagram)

• Identifies potential causes of defects.
• Example:
  • If software crashes frequently, possible causes might be poor code, hardware issues, or bad configurations.

✅ Flowchart

• Visualizes a process to identify bottlenecks.
• Example:
  • If customer support requests are slow, a flowchart can show where delays happen.

✅ Histogram

• Bar chart showing frequency of defects over time.
• Example:
  • If software defects increase every Friday, the team can investigate what happens on Fridays.

✅ Pareto Chart (80/20 Rule)

• 80% of problems come from 20% of causes.
• Example:
  • If 80% of customer complaints come from only 2 recurring issues, fixing those two issues can eliminate most problems.

✅ Scatter Diagram

• Shows trends between two variables.
• Example:
  • If bugs increase when developers work overtime, the trend shows overtime may lead to poor quality.

2) Quality Audits

• Regularly checking whether the project follows quality processes.
• Example:
  • If software developers aren’t following security protocols, a quality audit can catch this early.

3) Design for X (DfX)

• Optimizing a product for a specific factor (X).
• Example:
  • If a car is designed for safety, engineers prioritize airbags and crash resistance over low cost.

4) Problem Solving Techniques

• Identifies root causes of defects and fixes them.
• Example:
  • If a construction project keeps getting delayed, managers identify that poor supplier coordination is the cause and fix it.

6. Outputs of Manage Quality

1) Quality Reports

• Documents quality issues and recommendations.
• Example:
  • A report may state that test results indicate high defect rates and recommend process changes.

2) Test and Evaluation Documents

• Checklists to verify if a deliverable meets quality standards.
• Example:
  • Before launching an app, a QA checklist ensures it works on all devices.

7. Why This Process Matters

• Prevents defects before they occur (vs. fixing them later).
• Improves efficiency by refining processes early.
• Reduces rework, saving time and costs.
• Example:
  • In software projects, fixing a bug during development is 10x cheaper than fixing it after launch.

Key Takeaway: Quality is About the Process, Not Just the Product

• Bad quality = Bad processes.
• Managing quality ensures the right processes are followed to produce high-quality results.