Quality Control & Quality Assurance (17.2)
- Thiago Casarin Lucenti
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Chapter 17 - Achieving Quality Production
Lesson Objective: To understand how quality control and assurance work
Case study (p. 231)
Test yourself (p. 231)
There are mainly two approaches for achieving quality:
Control is based on inspection/checking of the completed unit
Assurance is the process of self-checking quality by the workers in charge of each process preventing and reducing faulty products.
Control, therefore, can be problematic:
Workers and inspectors live in a conflictual situation leading to a bad corporate culture (motivation);
Inspecting is a tedious job and demotivation leads inspectors to underperform on their jobs;
A faulty product might go through many different stages of production before being spotted (costly, time wasting process);
QC takes away from workers the responsibility over quality.
Quality Assurance, on the other hand, takes on a different approach to quality:
QA ensures that any raw materials or components required for production meet quality standards before going into production;
Every stage of the production process has a pre-defined quality standard;
QA starts at the product design: products are designed with the goal of minimizing quality issues (CAD);
There is a strong mentality of accountability in companies where QA is implemented: workers are responsible for quality over their own work.
As you understand now Quality Control takes on a more reactive approach to quality where Quality Assurance invests and aims for a reactive approach to quality.
The benefits of implementing Quality Assurance are tremendous for a business:
It boosts teamwork -> increases motivation;
Reduces costs by reducing waste and defective products;
As issues are found through production and not at the end it avoids wasting further resources;
Low to no costs of inspection;
Brings marketing benefits such as: reputation, and the ability to be awarded quality standards certificate (e.g. ISO).
Case Study (p. 233)
Test Yourself (p. 233)
To-Do-List
Exam Practice Questions (p. 234)
October 1
Chapter 17 - Achieving Quality Production
Week 4
Lesson 10/11/12
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