Turning Quality Plans into Action: An Overview of Project Quality Management
The process of Manage Quality is a linchpin in the realm of project quality management. It's all about turning the quality management plan into actionable quality activities, effectively weaving the organization's quality policies into the fabric of the project. This process, which runs parallel to the project's lifespan, plays a pivotal role in amplifying the chances of meeting quality objectives and pinpointing processes that fall short of effectiveness.
Manage Quality, also known as quality assurance, has a broader definition in project management. While quality assurance focuses on adhering to and meeting standards to assure stakeholders that the final product will meet their needs, expectations, and requirements, Manage Quality encompasses all quality assurance activities and also focuses on product design aspects and process improvements.
The Manage Quality process involves implementing planned and systematic actions and processes outlined in the project's quality management plan. It aids in designing an optimal product by implementing specific design guidelines that address particular aspects of the product. It also builds confidence that future outputs will meet the specified requirements and expectations through quality assurance tools and techniques such as quality audits and failure analysis.
Enhancing stakeholder satisfaction is a key goal of the Manage Quality process. It ensures that quality processes are utilized and that their use meets the project's quality objectives. It also aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and activities to achieve better results and performance.
The organization's quality assurance department can be utilized to carry out Manage Quality activities, which may include failure analysis, design of experiments, and quality improvement. This department typically possesses cross-organizational experience in using quality tools and techniques and can serve as a valuable resource for the project.
The mantle of managing quality in a project is shared by all stakeholders— the project manager, the project team, the project sponsor, the performing organization's management, and even the customer. However, the degree of participation in quality management can oscillate between industries and project management styles. For instance, in agile projects, quality management is a collective responsibility shouldered by all team members throughout the project. Conversely, in traditional projects, this responsibility often rests with specific team members.