Chapter 8: project quality management

ISO 9000

...

control chart

..., A graphic display of data that illustrates the results of a process over time.

cost of nonconformance

..., taking responsibility for failures or not meeting quality expectations

conformance to requirements

..., the project processes and products that meet written specifications

maturity model

...a framework for helping organizations improve their processes and systems

capability maturity model integration (CMMI)

...a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective process

fitness for use

...a product that can be used as it was intended

design of experiments

...a quality technique that helps identify which variables have the most influence on the overall outcome of a process

DMAIC( define, measure, analyze, improve control)

...a systematic,closed loop process for continued improvement that i scientific and fact based

checksheet

...a technique used to collect and analyze data; sometimes called a tally sheet or a checklist

lean

...an approach for improving quality that involves evaluating processes to maximize customer value while maintaining waste

defect

...any instance in which the product or service fails to meet customer requirements

performance

...how well a product or service performs the customers intended use

measurement and test equipment costs

...the capital cost of equipment used to perform prevention and appraisal activities

maintainability

...the ease of performing maintenance on product

histogram

..a bar graph of a distribution of variables

fishbone diagram

..a diagram that traces complaints about quality problems back to the responsible production operations to help find the root cause; also known as a fishbone diagram or ishikawa diagram

ishikawa diagram

..a diagram that traces complaints about quality problems back to the responsible production operations to help find the root cause; also known as a fishbone diagram or ishikawa diagram

six sigma

A comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success; uniquely driven by close understanding of customer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving, and reinventing business processes.

Pareto Chart

A histogram that can help you identify and prioritize problem areas

benchmarking

a technique used to generate ideas for quality improvements by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products within or outside the performing organization ...

unit test

a test of each individual component to ensure that it is defect free as possible

process adjustments

adjustments made to correct or prevent further quality problems based on quality control measurements

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

an award started in 1987 to recognize companies that have achieved a level of world-class competition through quality management ...

user acceptance testing

an indépendant test performed by end users prior to accepting the delivered system

system testing

testing the entire system as one entity to ensure that it is working properly

reliability

the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under normal conditions

mean

the average value of a population

appraisal cost

the cost of evaluating processes and their outputs to ensure that a project is error-free or within an acceptable error range

functionality

the degree to which a system performs its intended function

yield

the number of units handled correctly through the development process

system outputs

the screens and reports the system generates

features

the special characteristics that appeal to users ...

quality

the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs or the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements

integration testing

...testing that occurs between unit and system testing to test functionality grouped components and ensure that a subset or subsets of the entire system work together

cost of quality

...the cost of conformance plus the cost of non-conformance

rework

Action taken to bring rejected items into compliance with product requirements or specifications or other stakeholder expectations

prevention cost

Cost of planning and executing a project so it is error-free or within an acceptable error range

scatter diagram

Diagram that shows relationship between data items using x and y axes.

project quality management

Ensuring that the project will satisfy the stated and implied needs for which it was undertaken

seven run rule

If seven data points in a row on a quality control chart are all below the mean, above the mean, or are all increasing or decreasing, then the process needs to be examined for nonrandom problems

kaizen

Japanese word for improvement or change for the better; an approach used for continuously improving quality in organizations

normal distribution

a bell shaped curve that is symmetrical about the mean of the population

internal failure cost

a cost incurred to correct an identified defect before the customer receives the product

external failure cost

a cost related to all errors that are not detected and corrected before delivery to the consumer ...

cause and effect diagram

a diagram that traces complaints about quality problems back to the responsible production operations to help find the root cause; also known as a fishbone diagram or ishikawa diagram

flowchart

a graphic display of the logic and flow of processes that helps you analyze how problems occur and how processes can be improved

software quality function deployment( SQFD) model

a maturity model that focuses in defining user requirements and planning software projects

standard deviation

a measure of how much variation exists in a distribution of data

six 9s of quality

a measure of quality control equal to one fault in one million opportunities

metric

a standard of measurement

software defect

anything that must be changed before deliver of the program

run chart

chart that displays the history and pattern of variation of a process over time

statistical sampling

choosing part of a population of interest for inspection

conformance

delivering products that meet requirements and fitness for use

quality circles

groups of non supervisors and work leaders in a single company department who volunteer to conduct group studies on how to improve the effectiveness of work in their department

pareto analysis

identifying the vital few contributors that account for most quality problems in a system

robust design methods

methods that focus on eliminating defects by substituting scientific inquiry for trial-and-error methods

quality control

monitoring specific project results to ensure that they comply with the relevant quality standards and identifying ways to improve overall quality

quality assurance

periodic evaluation of overall project performance to ensure tha the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards

quality audit

structured review of specific quality management activities that helps identify lessons learned and can improve performance on current or future projects