Manage Quality
Manage Quality is the process of translating the quality management plan into executable quality activities that incorporate the organization's quality policies into the project.
Explanation
Manage Quality, sometimes called quality assurance, is an Executing process that focuses on the process of doing work, not on inspecting deliverables. It ensures the project uses the appropriate processes and standards to meet the quality requirements. This process bridges the gap between planning and controlling by embedding quality into the way work is performed.\n\nKey activities in Manage Quality include performing quality audits, conducting process analysis, and using quality improvement tools. The process validates that quality standards and operational definitions are appropriate and that the project processes are being followed. When issues are identified, change requests and corrective actions are generated.\n\nManage Quality is proactive by nature. Rather than finding defects after the fact, it aims to build quality into the work processes themselves. This is a core PMI principle: the cost of preventing defects is always less than the cost of finding and fixing them later.
Key Points
- •Part of the Executing process group (formerly called quality assurance)
- •Focuses on processes, not deliverable inspection
- •Uses quality audits and process analysis as key techniques
- •Proactive approach to embedding quality into work execution
Exam Tip
If the exam describes someone reviewing processes and procedures to ensure they follow the quality plan, that is Manage Quality. If they are inspecting deliverables for defects, that is Control Quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Plan Quality Management
Plan Quality Management is the process of identifying quality requirements and standards for the project and its deliverables, and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance with those requirements.
Control Quality
Control Quality is the process of monitoring and recording the results of executing quality management activities to assess performance and ensure project outputs are complete, correct, and meet customer expectations.
Quality Audits
A quality audit is a structured, independent review to determine whether project activities comply with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.
Process Analysis
Process analysis examines the steps outlined in the process improvement plan to identify needed improvements, analyzing problems, constraints, and non-value-adding activities within a process.
Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
Continuous improvement, also known as Kaizen, is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements over time.
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