Chapter 7 Project Quality Management

In this post i have explained about Project Quality Management.

Chapter 7

Project Quality Management

A Comprehensive Guide for PMP Certification by Parag Pal

Chapter 7 focuses on **Project Quality Management**, which includes the processes for incorporating the organization's quality policy regarding planning, managing, and controlling project and product quality requirements in order to meet stakeholder objectives.

This guide will detail the three processes within Quality Management, from planning how to manage quality to controlling it, highlighting key concepts, inputs, tools & techniques, and outputs for each.

7.1 Quality Definitions: Quality vs. Grade

It's crucial to distinguish between quality and grade in project management.

Quality

Defined as "the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements."

Quality must ALWAYS be high.

(e.g., A high-quality basic phone works reliably).

Grade

A category assigned to deliverables having the same functional use, but different technical characteristics.

Grade can be low or high.

(e.g., A low-grade basic phone vs. a high-grade smartphone; both make calls, but have different features).

Exam Tip:

Quality must always be high, while the grade can be low or high.

7.2 Quality Theories and Terms

Various theories and terms underpin the practice of quality management in projects.

• Just in Time (JIT): A practice in which a product-based company should have very low or no inventory. This ensures companies always maintain the latest products, leading to higher quality inventory and lower overall costs.
• Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): About making small, continuous changes to improve a product or service. If a product or service does not continually improve, it will become obsolete.
• Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle (W. Edwards Deming): This theory advocates that business processes should be scrutinized and measured to detect sources of variations that cause products to deviate from customer requirements.
  Plan

  Do

  Check

  Act
• Total Quality Management (TQM): The theory that all employees of an organization are responsible for the quality of their products and services.
• Customer Satisfaction: The ultimate test of quality. Meeting customer expectations by collecting, understanding, and managing their requirements.
• Prevention over Inspection: Quality is prevention-driven. It is generally more cost-effective to prevent defects than to fix them after deliverables have been made.
• Six Sigma: A quality theory that looks to improve processes to reduce defects, based on standard deviation and the bell curve.
• Statistical Independence: One event cannot affect another event in probability.
• Mutual Exclusivity: Two events cannot happen at the same time.
• Attribute Sampling: Measures quality by observing the presence (or absence) of some characteristics (e.g., good/bad, 1/0). No middle ground.
• Variable Sampling: Measures quality by how well something meets requirements, allowing for a range of values (e.g., okay, good, very good). Has a middle ground.

7.3 Cost of Quality (COQ)

The **Cost of Quality (COQ)** is the amount spent to ensure quality requirements are met. It includes both costs of conformance and costs of nonconformance.

Cost of Quality

Cost of Conformance (Good Quality)

Prevention Costs

• Training
• Materials
• Equipment

Appraisal Costs

• Inspection
• Testing
• Calibration

Cost of Nonconformance (Bad Quality)

Internal Failure Costs

• Rework
• Scrap

External Failure Costs

• Warranty Costs
• Lost Business

Key Principle:

The cost of meeting quality requirements should never exceed its benefits.

7.4 Project Quality Management Processes Overview

Project Quality Management includes the processes for incorporating the organization's quality policy regarding planning, managing, and controlling project and product quality requirements in order to meet stakeholder objectives.

The 3 Quality Management Processes are:

• Plan Quality Management (Planning)
• Manage Quality (Executing)
• Control Quality (Monitoring & Controlling)

Quality Management Processes by Process Group

This chart shows how the 3 Project Quality Management processes are distributed across the Process Groups.

Note: Quality processes span Planning, Executing, and Monitoring & Controlling.

7.5 Plan Quality Management

This process identifies quality requirements and/or standards for the project and its deliverables, and documents how the project will demonstrate compliance.

7.5.1 Inputs

• Project Management Plan
• Project Documents (Assumption Log, Risk Register, Stakeholder Register, Requirements Documentation, Requirements Traceability Matrix)
• Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs)
• Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)

7.5.2 Tools & Techniques

• Expert Judgment
• Data Gathering
• Data Analysis:
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Evaluating the benefits of meeting quality requirements versus the cost.
  • Cost of Quality (COQ): Analyzing the costs associated with quality (conformance vs. nonconformance).
• Data Representation (e.g., Logical Data Model, Matrix Diagram, Mind Mapping, Flowcharts)
• Decision Making, Test & Inspection Planning, Meetings

7.5.3 Outputs

• Quality Management Plan: Documents how quality will be managed.
• Quality Metrics: Specific measures for quality (e.g., defect rate, response time).
• Project Documents Updates.

7.6 Manage Quality

This process translates the quality management plan into executable quality activities that incorporate the organization's quality policies into the project. It focuses on ensuring the **processes** used to produce deliverables are correct. This process includes Quality Assurance.

7.6.1 Inputs

• Quality Management Plan
• Project Documents (Quality Control Measurements, Risk Register, Lessons Learned Register)
• OPAs

7.6.2 Tools & Techniques

• Data Gathering, Data Analysis, Decision Making, Quality Metrics.
• Data Representation:
  • Affinity Diagrams: Used to group large amounts of data into categories.
  • Matrix Diagrams: Show relationships between two or more groups.
  • Cause-and-Effect Diagrams (Ishikawa/Fishbone Diagram): Show causes of defects and their root causes.
  • Flowcharts, Histograms.
• Audits: Structured reviews to determine if project activities comply with policies and processes.
• Design for X (DfX): Used by engineers to design a particular aspect of a product (e.g., DfC for Design for Cost).
• Problem Solving, Quality Improvement Methods.

Cause and Effect (Fishbone) Diagram

This diagram helps identify potential causes for a problem or defect.

Problem/Effect

Category 1

Category 2

Category 3

Category 4

Cause A

Cause B

Cause C

Cause D

7.6.3 Outputs

• Quality Reports: Information about quality issues and recommendations for process improvement.
• Test and Evaluation Documents: Checklists used when checking the quality of deliverables.
• Change Requests, Project Management Plan Updates, Project Document Updates.

7.7 Control Quality

This process monitors and records results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes. It focuses on inspecting the **deliverables** to see if they meet quality requirements.

Distinction:

"Manage Quality" looks at the processes used to produce deliverables, while "Control Quality" inspects the deliverables themselves for quality standards.

7.7.1 Inputs

• Project Management Plan
• Project Documents (Quality Metrics, Test & Evaluation Documents, Lessons Learned Register)
• Work Performance Data, Approved Change Requests, Deliverables
• EEFs, OPAs

7.7.2 Tools & Techniques

• Data Gathering:
  • Checklists: Help determine what to check for during inspection.
  • Checksheets: Used to gather data on defects and keep a running total.
  • Statistical Sampling: Inspecting a random sample (e.g., of code or painted walls) when full inspection is not feasible.
  • Questionnaires and Surveys.
• Data Analysis, Inspection, Testing/Product Evaluations.
• Data Representation:
  • Cause-and-Effect Diagrams.
  • Control Charts: Indicate if a process is "in control." Shows mean, upper and lower control limits (3 standard deviations from mean).
    • Rule of Seven: If seven consecutive points are on one side of the mean, the process needs inspection.
  • Scatter Diagrams: Show trends in relation to different variables (e.g., time and number of defects).
  • Histograms.
• Meetings.

Control Chart Example (Rule of Seven)

A control chart helps monitor process stability. A process is out of control if data points consistently fall outside limits or show non-random patterns like the "Rule of Seven."

Note: The "Rule of Seven" indicates a process is out of control even if points are within limits.

7.7.3 Outputs

• Quality Control Measurements: Results of quality control activities.
• Verified Deliverables: Deliverables that have been inspected and meet quality requirements.
• Work Performance Information.
• Change Requests.

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