Project Quality Management – An overview

The triple constraint is always on your mind when you're managing a project. However, there is a fourth concern that is equally important but is often overlooked in the whirlwind of project management: quality.

If the deliverable doesn't meet quality standards, it doesn't matter if you got the best software, hit every deadline, and finished the project on time. That is why project quality control is so critical.

What Is Project Quality Management?

The processes and activities used to determine and achieve the quality of a project's deliverables are referred to as project quality management. Quality, on the other hand, can be a difficult concept to grasp.

What exactly is quality? Quality simply refers to what the customer or stakeholder expects from the project deliverables. Quality management can have a narrower focus by keeping the definition tied to the customer or stakeholder, which means it's more likely to meet its objectives.

• Project Quality Management Concepts

Project managers oversee implementing a project quality management plan. The main idea, again, to deliver a product or service to the specifications of the customer or stakeholder. Doing so requires knowing quality management concepts.

• Customer Satisfaction

There can be no quality if customers are dissatisfied. There's a problem if a deliverable meets all of the requirements of the customer or stakeholder but is produced in a way that isn't entirely satisfactory.

Of course, the deliverable must meet those requirements, or the project will be considered a failure because the project's product and management failed to meet the customer's or stakeholder's expectations.

As a result, implementing quality control necessitates the management of both processes and people. Regularly meet with your customer or stakeholder to keep them informed about the project's progress. To avoid problems later, get their feedback and make sure you're being completely transparent with them.

• Prevention Over Inspection

Quality isn't given away for free. The Cost of Quality (COQ) is the money spent dealing with problems during the project and then fixing any failures afterward. These are divided into two categories: conformance costs and nonconformance costs.

Conformance costs can be viewed as a preventative cost. These expenses are primarily related to training, the documentation process, the equipment required, and the time required to achieve the desired level of quality. Testing, destructive testing loss, and inspections are some of the other costs associated with this.

Internal failure costs are referred to as the cost of nonconformance. These include having to rework or even scrap something entirely. Liabilities, warranty work, and lost business can all add up to a lot of money.

• Continuous Improvement

The concept of quality project management refers to a continuous effort to improve deliverables over time. The ability to identify and address change is always present, whether through small, incremental changes or large ones.

Applying this concept also entails continuously monitoring and documenting any issues that arise so that you can apply what you've learned to future projects. You'll be able to run a more efficient project and avoid making the same mistakes.

Need more insights on the same? Enroll in a PMP training online today!

Richard Pierce An expert in Pmi and Iiba Certifications.