3. Introduction Quality Management can be considered to have three main components: Quality Control Quality Assurance Quality Improvement
4. Introduction Quality Management is focused not only on product quality, but also the means to achieve it. Quality management therefore uses quality assurance and control of processes as well as products to achieve more consistent quality.
5. Introduction Quality Standards: The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) created the Quality Management System (QMS) standards in 1987.
6. Introduction Quality Terms: Quality Control is the ongoing effort to maintain the integrity of a process to maintain the reliability of achieving an outcome.
7. Introduction Quality Terms: Quality Assurance is the planned or systematic actions necessary to provide enough confidence that a product or service will satisfy the given requirements
8. Introduction Quality Terms: Quality Improvement can be distinguished from Quality Control in that Quality Improvement is the purposeful change of a process to improve the reliability of achieving an outcome.
10. Quality Control The company-wide quality approach places an emphasis on three aspects: Elements such as controls, job management, defined and well managed processes performance and integrity criteria, and identification of records Competence, such as knowledge, skills, experience, and qualifications Soft elements, such as personnel integrity, confidence, organizational culture, motivation, team spirit, and quality relationships. The quality of the outputs is at risk if any of these three aspects is deficient in any way.
12. Quality Control Quality assurance, or QA for short, refers to a program for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality are being met. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the program sponsor. Quality Assurance cannot absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes this more likely.
13. Quality Control Two key principles characterise QA: "fit for purpose" (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose) and "right first time" (mistakes should be eliminated).
14. Quality Control Quality Assurance includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components; services related to production; and management, production and inspection processes. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the intended users, clients or customers, not by society in general: it is not the same as 'expensive' or 'high quality'. Even goods with low prices can be considered quality items if they meet a market need.
