Quality

1
Quality
2
Concepts of Quality

• Best of breed
• Repeatability
• Standards
• Inspection
• Quality is consistent conformance to customers
  expectations Slack et al Operations Management
  Pitman 1995

3
Crosbys 4 Absolutes of Quality Management

• Quality is defined as conformance to customer
  requirements
• The system for implementing quality is prevention
  not inspection
• The performance standard must be zero defects
• The measurement of quality is the price of
  non-conformance

Crosby, P Quality is Free McGraw Hill
4
Costs of Poor Quality

• The price of non-conformance
• 4 elements
• Prevention
• Appraisal
• Internal failure
• External failure

5
Costs of Poor Quality

• Prevention
• Risk reduction and error prevention
• supplier evaluation
• training
• Appraisal
• Inspection and testing
• design reviews
• walkthroughs
• module testing

6
Costs of Poor Quality

• Internal failure
• correct errors before project delivery
• avoid reworking, redesign
• create quality culture
• External failure
• costs incurred after delivery
• result in warranty claims, customer complaints,
  degraded reputation

7
Standards and Processes

• EFQM model
• 9 elements, measuring
• How firms approach activities and
• What they have achieved
• ISO 9000 - a very general approach
• TickIT (DTI) - software standards
• http//www.tickit.org/quality.htm

8
Quality Management System (QMS)
Policy Objectives Organisation Primary
Functions Procedures Index
Corporate Quality Manual
Who does What How When And in what sequence
Critical Procedures Manuals
Procedure Guides
Documentation
Detailed Work Instructions
9
Quality Plan - Attributes

• formal definition of how the job will be done
• a discipline for the project manager
• key reference point for team members
• bridge between customer and supplier
• No generally accepted format

10
Quality Plan Issues to be addressed

• What are the lifecycle stages of the project?
• What standards are to be used?
• What controls must the Project Manager exercise?
• What independent checks are to be imposed?

11
Conformance to specification

• Define the quality characteristics of each
  deliverable
• Decide how to measure each quality characteristic
• Set quality standards for each quality
  characteristic
• Control quality against those standards
• Find and correct causes of poor quality
• Continue to make improvements

Slack et al Ch 16
12
Quality Process or Culture?

• Total Quality Management
• Building quality awareness into every activity
• Creating a customer-based culture
• Encouraging empowerment to make improvements

13
End of Lecture