8.2 Manage Quality

Description: It is the process of translating the quality management plan into executable quality activities that incorporate the organization's quality policy into the project. It uses data and results from the Control Quality process to reflect overall quality status of the project to the stakeholders. Sometimes called quality assurance but Manage Quality has a broader definition than quality assurance. In project management quality assurance is on the processes used in the project. Quality Assurance is about using project processes effectively: assure stakeholder that the final product will meet their needs, expectations, requirements.

Manage Quality includes all the quality assurance activities + the product design aspects and process improvements. It implements a set of planned and systematic acts and processes defined withing the project's quality management plan that helps to:

• Design an optimal and mature product by implementing specific design guidelines that address specific aspects of the products,
• Build confidence that a future output will be completed in a manner that meets the specified requirements and expectations throughout quality assurance tools and techniques (quality audit and failure analysis),
• Confirm that the quality processes are used and the their use meets the quality objectives of the project,
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and activities to achieve better results and performance and enhance stakeholders' satisfaction.

The organization's quality assurance department may be used to execute some organizational functions. Manage Quality is considered the work of everybody.

Key benefit: it increases the probability of meeting the quality objectives as well as identifying ineffective processes and causes of poor quality.

Frequency: throughout the project.

Process / Asset Group	Input	The Process	Output	Process / Asset Group
Project Management Plan	Quality management plan	8.2 Manage Quality	Change requests	4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control
Project Documents	Lesson learned register		Quality management plan	Project Management Plan
	Quality control measurements		Scope baseline
	Quality metrics		Schedule baseline
	Risk report		Cost baseline
Enterprise / Organization	Organizational process assets		Quality reports	Project documents
			Test and evaluation documents
			Issue log
			Lesson learned register
			Risk register

8.2.1 Inputs

8.2.1.1 Project Management Plan

Quality management plan: the acceptable level of project and product quality, how to ensure this level, what to do with nonconforming products, what corrective action to implement.

8.2.1.2 Project Documents

Include:

• Lesson learned register.
• Quality control measurements. Used to analyze and evaluate the quality of the processes and deliverables of the project against the standard of the performing organization or the specified requirements. Also used to evaluate the measurements itself.
• Quality metrics. The metrics are verified itself. They are used as a basis for the development of test scenarios for the project and its deliverables and for improvement initiatives.
• Risk reports. Used to identify sources of overall project risk.

8.2.1.3 Organizational Process Assets

Assets list:

• Organizational quality management system: policies, procedures, and guidelines;
• Quality templates: check sheets, traceability matrix, test plan, test documents, others;
• Results from previous audits;
• Lesson learned register.

8.2.2 Tools and Techniques

8.2.2.1 Data Gathering

Checklist: a structural tool, component-specific, used to verify that a set of required steps has been performed or to check if a list of requirements has been satisfied.

8.2.2.2 Data Analysis

Include:

• Alternatives analysis.
• Document analysis.
• Process analysis.
• Root cause analysis (RCA).

8.2.2.3 Decision Making

Multicriteria decision making: evaluation of several criteria when discussing alternatives that impact project or product quality. Project decision: choosing between different implementation scenarios or suppliers. Product decision: evaluating the life cycle cost, schedule, stakeholder satisfaction, risks.

8.2.2.4 Data Representation

Include:

• Affinity diagrams. To organize potential causes of defects into groups to show areas to be focused on the most.
• Cause-and-effect /Fishbone diagrams. It breaks down the causes of the problem statement identified into discrete branches to identify the main/root cause of the problem.
• Flowcharts. A series of steps that lead to a defect.
• Histograms.
• Matrix diagrams. Factor-objective relations.
• Scatter diagrams. Relations between two variables.

8.2.2.5 Audits

A structured, independent process to determine project compliance with organizational/project policies, processes, procedures. Usually conducted by a external team. Quality audit objectives:

• Identifying all good/best practices;
• Identifying all nonconformity, gaps, and shortcoming;
• Sharing good practices;
• Proactively offering assistance in a positive manner to improve the implementation of processes -> help to raise team productivity;
• Highlighting contribution of each audit in the lessons learned repository of the organization.

Quality audit can confirm the implementation of approved change requests.

8.2.2.6 Design for X

DfX - a set of technical guidelines that may be applied during the design of a product for the optimization of a specific aspect of the design. DfX can control or even improve the product's final characteristics.

8.2.2.7 Problem Solving

It can include gathering additional information, critical thinking, creative, quantitative, logical approaches:

• Defining the problem;
• Identifying the root cause;
• Generate possible solutions;
• Choosing the best solution;
• Implementing the solution;
• Verifying solution effectiveness.

8.2.2.8 Quality Improvement Methods

Plan-Do-Check-Act, Six Sigma.

8.2.3 Outputs

8.2.3.1 Quality Reports

Can be graphical, numerical, qualitative. They are used by other departments. May include:

• Quality management issues escalated by the team;
• Recommendations for process, project, product improvements;
• Corrective actions recommendations;
• Summary.

8.2.3.2 Test and Evaluation Documents

Dedicated checklists, detailed requirements traceability matrices.

8.2.3.3 Change Requests

8.2.3.4 Project Management Plan Updates

Components that may requires a change request:

• Quality management plan.
• Scope baseline.
• Schedule baseline.
• Cost baseline.

8.2.3.5 Project Document Updates

• Issue log.
• Lesson learned register.
• Risk register.