Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of a product, service, or result fulfills the requirements. Quality includes the ability to satisfy the customer’s stated or implied needs. The product, service, or result of a project (referred to here as deliverables) is measured for the quality of both the conformance to acceptance criteria and fitness for use.
Quality may have several different dimensions, including but not limited to the following:
- Performance. Does the deliverable function as the project team and other stakeholders intended?
- Conformity. Is the deliverable fit for use, and does it meet the specifications?
- Reliability. Does the deliverable produce consistent metrics each time it is performed or produced?
- Resilience. Is the deliverable able to cope with unforeseen failures and quickly recover?
- Satisfaction. Does the deliverable elicit positive feedback from end users? This includes usability and user experience?
- Uniformity. Does the deliverable show parity with other deliverables produced in the same manner?
- Efficiency. Does the deliverable produce the greatest output with the least amount of inputs and effort?
- Sustainability. Does the deliverable produce a positive impact on economic, social, and environmental parameters?
Project teams measure quality using metrics and acceptance criteria based on requirements. A requirement is a condition or capability that is necessary to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a need. Requirements, either explicit or implicit, may come from stakeholders, a contract, organizational policies, standards, or regulatory bodies, or a combination of these. Quality is closely linked to the product acceptance criteria, as described in the statement of work or other design documents. These criteria should be updated as experimentation and prioritization occur and validated as part of the acceptance process.
Quality is also relevant to the project approaches and activities used to produce the project’s deliverables. While project teams evaluate the quality of a deliverable through inspection and testing, project activities and processes are assessed through reviews and audits. In both instances, quality activities may focus on detection and prevention of errors and defects.
The objective of quality activities is to help ensure that what is delivered meets the objectives of the customer and other relevant stakeholders in the most straightforward path. The intention is to minimize the waste of resources and maximize the probability of attaining the desired outcome. This results in:
- Moving the deliverables to the point of delivery quickly, and
- Preventing defects in the deliverables or identifying them early to avoid or reduce the need for rework and scrap.
The objective of quality activities is the same whether dealing with an up-front, well-defined set of requirements or a set of requirements that are progressively elaborated and incrementally delivered.
Quality management processes and practices help produce deliverables and outcomes that meet project objectives and align to the expectations, uses, and acceptance criteria expressed by the organization and relevant stakeholders. Close attention to quality in project processes and deliverables creates positive outcomes, including:
- Project deliverables that are fit for purpose, as defined by acceptance criteria,
- Project deliverables that meet stakeholder expectations and business objectives,
- Project deliverables with minimal or no defects,
- Timely or expedited delivery,
- Enhanced cost control,
- Increased quality of product delivery,
- Reduced rework and scrap,
- Reduced customer complaints,
- Good supply chain integration,
- Improved productivity,
- Increased project team morale and satisfaction,
- Robust service delivery,
- Improved decision making, and
- Continually improved processes.
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