Quality Assurance Control Improvement
By: Sri Krishna Sharma
Tags: Qc, QA, Quality Control, Quality Improvement, Quality Assurance

QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

While dealing with quality of a product or service, we often come across terms like Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC), Quality Improvement (QI). We are keen to know what exactly these terms mean and in what way they differ from each other. Most of us have a fair idea that they all have something to do with “making a quality product” or “delivering a quality service”; and each one of them constitutes a quality related function, department or group in a manufacturing or service set up.

In this article, I will be elaborating the distinct functions/ activities performed by QA, QC and QI groups (typical of most organisations). This will be helpful in bringing out the role clarity for QA,QC,QI functions and the differences among them. In the last paragraph, I will also discuss how these functions are placed in an organisation.

Quality Assurance:

Quality Assurance is the collection of activities directed towards assuring the top management and customers that all quality requirements related to the product/process/service are being fulfilled. In other words, QA assures customers as well as company management that “All is well with quality”.

QA is a broad function that requires close interaction (from quality viewpoint) with various departments viz. commercial, materials management, design, production, quality control, testing, packaging, after sales service etc.

The main activities of QA are:

(i) Preparation and issuance of QA plans (also called quality plans)

(ii) Getting QA plan approved by customer wherever it’s a contractual requirement

(iii) Preparation and issuance of quality systems and procedures

(iv) Preparation and issuance of quality manual

(v) Coordination for QMS (quality management systems) audits e.g. ISO 9001 audits — external and internal

(vi) Organising periodical quality review meetings

(vii) Analysis and presentation of quality data e.g. trend of customer complaints, quantum of rejection/rework on shopfloor, number of non-conformities observed during audits, quality costs etc.

(viii) Organising training on quality related subjects and training for quality systems auditors

Quality Control:

Quality Control is the collection of activities directed towards (i) ensuring conformance to specification (ii) defect prevention, on shopfoor or actual workplace.

The main activities of QC are:

(i) Inspection of purchased materials on receipt or at source

(ii) Stage inspection during manufacture

(iii) Final inspection including product testing

(iv) Resolution on non-conformities as per procedure

(v) Calibration of measuring instruments and gauges

(vi) Implementing defect prevention measures e.g. control charts, run charts etc.

Quality Improvement:

Quality improvement is the collection of activities directed towards improvement in the quality of product. Improvement in quality means one or more of the following:

(i) Reduction in errors/non conformities

(ii) Reduction in rejection/rework

(iii) Reduction in customer complaints

(iv) Reduction in cost of poor quality

(v) Reducing “variation” i.e. piece-to-piece variation in similar products/components

(vi) Improving quality index (if the company has developed a quality index system to “measure” quality)

(vii) Adding new product features that appeal to the customers

Some of the tools, techniques and methods used for quality improvement are: 7 tools of quality, SQC(statistical quality control) techniques, RCA (root cause analysis), operator self control, poka yoke; and training and motivation for quality.

QA, QC Vs QI

QI ( quality improvement) is rarely a separate department or group. Both QA and QC participate in quality improvement activities. Additionally, quality improvement is also done project-by-project by multidisciplinary teams/task forces under varied names.

Out of QA, QC and QI, quality improvement is probably the most difficult but highly rewarding function. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the most neglected one.

It was Juran (regarded as the father of quality management) who first developed the concept of quality trilogy consisting of quality planning, quality control, quality improvement; and emphasised the need for quality improvement as a distinct function. Now it is widely recognised that a strong QI setup is a must if the company wants to attain quality leadership.

As regards organisation of QA and QC functions in a company, it varies greatly from company to company. In some companies, QA and QC exist as separate departments while in others, one may be reporting to the other. In still others, particularly in small companies/establishments, only one of the two (QA or QC) exists and the same group performs both QA and QC functions. It’s all OK, as long as roles of QA and QC are well understood and performed that way.