Intro to Project Management: Project Quality Management - Quality Control, Control Charts Pareto Charts Histograms Cause-and-Effect Diagrams Scatter Diagrams Flowcharts

What This Is

Quality Control (QC) is the process of monitoring and controlling project deliverables to ensure they meet the required standards. It involves identifying, analyzing, and correcting defects or deviations from the planned quality. A project manager must ensure that QC is integrated into the project management plan to prevent defects and ensure customer satisfaction. For example, in a software development project, QC is crucial to ensure that the software meets the required functionality, performance, and security standards.

Key Terms & Formulas

• Control Chart: A statistical tool used to monitor and control process variation over time. It plots data points on a chart to identify trends, patterns, and deviations from the mean.
• Pareto Chart: A bar chart that displays the relative frequency of different types of defects or problems. It helps identify the most common defects and prioritize corrective actions.
• Histogram: A graphical representation of data distribution, showing the frequency of different values or ranges. It helps identify patterns, trends, and outliers in data.
• Cause-and-Effect Diagram (Fishbone Diagram): A visual tool used to identify and analyze the causes of a problem. It helps identify the root causes of defects or problems.
• Scatter Diagram: A graphical representation of the relationship between two variables. It helps identify correlations, patterns, and trends in data.
• Flowchart: A visual representation of a process or procedure, showing the sequence of steps and decisions. It helps identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement.
• Defect Density: The number of defects per unit of work or product. It helps measure the quality of a product or process.
• Defect Rate: The number of defects per unit of time or effort. It helps measure the quality of a process or team.
• Six Sigma: A quality management approach that aims to reduce defects to 3.4 per million opportunities. It uses statistical tools and techniques to monitor and control process variation.
• Cpk (Capability Index): A statistical measure of process capability, ranging from 0 to 2. It helps evaluate the ability of a process to meet customer requirements.
• EV (Earned Value): A measure of project progress, calculated as EV = % complete × BAC (Budget at Completion).
• CV (Cost Variance): A measure of project cost performance, calculated as CV = EV - AC (Actual Cost).
• SV (Schedule Variance): A measure of project schedule performance, calculated as SV = EV - PV (Planned Value).

Step-by-Step / Process Flow

1. Identify Quality Objectives: Determine the quality standards and objectives for the project, based on customer requirements and project scope.
2. Develop a Quality Plan: Create a detailed plan for quality control, including procedures, tools, and resources required to meet quality objectives.
3. Conduct Quality Control: Monitor and control project deliverables, using statistical tools and techniques to identify defects and deviations from the planned quality.
4. Analyze and Correct Defects: Identify the root causes of defects and implement corrective actions to prevent future defects.
5. Review and Update Quality Plan: Regularly review and update the quality plan to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Failing to integrate quality control into the project management plan.
• Correction: Ensure that quality control is integrated into the project management plan, and that quality objectives are aligned with project scope and customer requirements.
• Mistake: Not using statistical tools and techniques to monitor and control process variation.
• Correction: Use statistical tools and techniques, such as control charts and Pareto charts, to monitor and control process variation.
• Mistake: Failing to identify and analyze the root causes of defects.
• Correction: Use cause-and-effect diagrams and other analytical techniques to identify and analyze the root causes of defects.

Exam Tips

• Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: Quality assurance is the process of ensuring that quality standards are met, while quality control is the process of monitoring and controlling project deliverables to ensure they meet the required standards.
• Contingency vs Management Reserve: Contingency is a reserve for unexpected events, while management reserve is a reserve for known risks and uncertainties.
• Six Sigma vs Total Quality Management (TQM): Six Sigma is a quality management approach that aims to reduce defects to 3.4 per million opportunities, while TQM is a broader approach to quality management that emphasizes continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Quick Practice Questions

1. If the CPI (Cost Performance Index) is 0.8, is the project under or over budget? Answer: Over budget. Explanation: A CPI of 0.8 indicates that the project is spending 20% more than planned.
2. If the defect density is 10 defects per 1000 lines of code, what is the defect rate? Answer: 10 defects per 1000 lines of code. Explanation: Defect density is a measure of defects per unit of work, while defect rate is a measure of defects per unit of time or effort.
3. If the Cpk (Capability Index) is 1.5, what does it indicate? Answer: The process is capable of meeting customer requirements. Explanation: A Cpk of 1.5 indicates that the process is capable of meeting customer requirements, with a high degree of confidence.

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

• Quality Control: Monitoring and controlling project deliverables to ensure they meet the required standards.
• Control Chart: A statistical tool used to monitor and control process variation over time.
• Pareto Chart: A bar chart that displays the relative frequency of different types of defects or problems.
• Histogram: A graphical representation of data distribution, showing the frequency of different values or ranges.
• Cause-and-Effect Diagram: A visual tool used to identify and analyze the causes of a problem.
• Scatter Diagram: A graphical representation of the relationship between two variables.
• Flowchart: A visual representation of a process or procedure, showing the sequence of steps and decisions.
• Defect Density: The number of defects per unit of work or product.
• Defect Rate: The number of defects per unit of time or effort.
• Six Sigma: A quality management approach that aims to reduce defects to 3.4 per million opportunities.
• Cpk (Capability Index): A statistical measure of process capability, ranging from 0 to 2.
• EV (Earned Value): A measure of project progress, calculated as EV = % complete × BAC (Budget at Completion).
• CV (Cost Variance): A measure of project cost performance, calculated as CV = EV - AC (Actual Cost).
• SV (Schedule Variance): A measure of project schedule performance, calculated as SV = EV - PV (Planned Value).
• 'Decomposition' breaks down work, not activities – it creates the WBS, not the activity list.
• 'Scope creep' is a change to the project scope, without a corresponding change to the project budget or schedule.
• 'Scope statement' is a document that outlines the project scope, including the work to be performed and the deliverables.