The PMBOK Control Quality process focuses on product quality as well as project quality because much of the quality improvement and quality control effort emanates from the many tools and techniques that are tailored to meet the project needs.
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Control Quality in your PMBOK project
The control quality process is there to make sure that the project and product results with the quality management plan.
The quality management plan, qualitative methods, and quality metrics are applied to along with the work performance measurements and the deliverables themselves in order to determine whether the work has been done correctly.
In addition, this process validates that approved changes have been implemented correctly. The definition of control qualityis: “the process of monitoring and reporting results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommended necessary changes.”
Preventing a problem or defect during design is better than finding defects after the deliverable is complete – and then having to repair it.
Controlling quality ensures that the project deliverables line up with the quality standards established in the project quality plan by using appropriate tools and techniques such as testing, inspection, and control in order to adhere to customer requirements.
A very close relationship exists between quality control and scope verification.
Perform quality control is all about comparing deliverables against the quality plan and quality metrics so that the deliverables are correct and meet the requirements. Once this has been done the validated deliverables go through the verify scope process for customer acceptance.
While controlling quality, the project manager checks that approved change requests were implemented has approved, and this is one of the aspects of project scope of that is analysed and controlled.
When planning for quality the techniques are used to plan measurements, tolerances, and procedures. However, it is within this process that those measurements, tolerances, and procedures are applied. The results from applying the measurements are inputs to the perform quality assurance process.
Controlling Quality for deliverables
The close relationship exists between control quality and scope verification; we compare deliverables against the quality plan to ensure they are correct and meet the requirements, the validated deliverables are input to the Verify Scope process to gain customer acceptance.
- Deliverables are created in the direct and manage project execution process
- The deliverables are validated as correct in the perform quality control process
- Validated deliverables are ready for inspection and acceptance in the verify scope process
- Accepted deliverables are ready for the close project or phase process
Control quality - the Quality Management Plan
As mentioned above the quality management plan is the major input for the control quality process and will normally include the following information:
- Existing flowchart so by processes that you are looking to improve
- Upper and lower control and specification limits contained within the control charts
- Information is referenced such as sampling numbers, the sample criteria, measurements and variable sampling.
- Quality metrics, these can be any measurement that must be met for the results to meet the quality requirements.
- Quality checklist ensures that the proper steps are being followed in order to comply with aspects such as processes, regulations or policies.
The work performance measurements come from the control scope, control schedule, and control cost processes.
The close relationship exists between control quality and scope verification; we compare deliverables against the quality plan to ensure they are correct and meet the requirements, the validated deliverables are input to the Verify Scope process to gain customer acceptance.
However, the performedcontrol quality process is also where change requests are validated, as the approved change requests are an input to this process as shown by this diagram:
The quality measurements are recorded and passed on to the perform quality assurance process.
The deliverables and their results are validated. If they are not compliant then a change request is raised in order to bring them into compliance.
Any changes are validated as appropriate.
Various documentation will need to be updated including the project management plan containing the quality management plan and the process improvement plan, any quality standards or metrics, and appropriate organisational process assets lessons learned and quality checklists.
Perform quality control
This is the process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommended necessary changes. Be clear that we are talking about results here, not deliverables, so keep in mind that a large amounts of quality control is associated with results.
However another aspect of perform quality control is assessing whether the project is performing well in addition to whether the processes are working correctly.
Because this is the quality process, you must remember that prevention is preferred over inspection, because preventing a problem or defect in the design process is far better than finding it after the deliverable is complete and then having to repair it.
Perform quality control –the inputs
The quality management plan provides direction for the perform quality control process and typically provides the following information:
- Control charts information including the upper and lower control limits and the upper and lower specification limits
- The number of items to sample if you statistical sampling, the criteria he was sampling four, and the measurements for attributes or variable sampling
- Flowcharts of an existing process that you are looking to improve
The quality management plan will also define the roles and responsibilities for quality control and identify the organisational process assets such as any policies or procedures that must be followed.
Quality metrics are those specific measurements that must be met in order for the results to meet the quality requirements.
The quality checklists hope to make sure that all the proper steps are being followed so that you comply with policies, regulations, or processes.
The information in the quality plan, metrics, and checklists is used with the work performance measurements along with the deliverables.
The work performance measurements come from the control scope, control schedule, and control cost processes.
The work performance measurements are used to determine whether or not the project performance is acceptable, and the deliverables are used to determine whether the product performance is acceptable.
Validating change requests
The perform quality control process is where change requests are validated.
The perform integrated change control process uses the change request, the change log, analysis, decisions, document updates, communication, and implementation.
Verification takes place in this process, and the approved change requests are an input to perform quality control. The implementation of those change requests are reviewed, if the change requests are implemented as directed, they are validated.
When validating the change in the perform quality control process, it is important to ensure that the work breakdown structure, schedule, budget, resource requirements, and all other documentation are updated and consistently reflect the approved change.
