What does Quality Assurance mean?

[Yugender100]

Hello Folks,

Have some doubts regarding some topics.
May i know what is the meaning of

1. Quality Assurance?

[Al Dyer]

To ensure that a supplied product meets or exceeds the specifications of a customer and meets its intended use.

[gouritg]

Originally Posted by Yugender100

Hello Folks,

Have some doubts regarding some topics.
May i know what is the meaning of

1. Quality Assurance?

Hi

There is no single definition that explains Quality Assurance entirely . Broadly , QA can be explained as the sum total of all processes , activities in an organization which focus on providing confidence to the customer ( & other interested parties like society , employees , govt. etc. ) that all specified requirements are being met.

A good metric for QA effectiveness could be measuring Stakeholder satsifaction ( not shareholder satisfaction !!)

Gourishankar , CQMgr
Chennai , India

[baubin]

Originally Posted by Al Dyer

To ensure that a supplied product meets or exceeds the specifications of a customer and meets its intended use.

Yeath, if an organization could maintain a continuous improving QMS, the giggest pleasure is to exceed itself rather than the customer. The cost is the lowest, the quality is the best.

[Rob Nix]

One thing that will provide some light on the subject of the definition of "Quality Assurance" is when it first was used and what it replaced.

Decades ago, when mass production needed an inspection function, it was called "Quality Control". That description, however, restricted "Quality" to a defect detection mode. To control quality meant to prevent the shipment of bad product primarily.

So, when more modern quality tools began to be used, e.g. Statistical Process Control, that helped ensure systems and processes could keep defects from being produced, the term "Quality Assurance" was coined. This meant that quality could be "assured" or "ensured" intriniscally.

This was also why the ASQC (C = Control) dropped the word "Control" and is now ASQ. And it is why Juran's Quality Control Handbook is now Juran's Quality Handbook.

[baubin]

Originally Posted by Rob Nix

One thing that will provide some light on the subject of the definition of "Quality Assurance" is when it first was used and what it replaced.

Decades ago, when mass production needed an inspection function, it was called "Quality Control". That description, however, restricted "Quality" to a defect detection mode. To control quality meant to prevent the shipment of bad product primarily.

So, when more modern quality tools began to be used, e.g. Statistical Process Control, that helped ensure systems and processes could keep defects from being produced, the term "Quality Assurance" was coined. This meant that quality could be "assured" or "ensured" intriniscally.

This was also why the ASQC (C = Control) dropped the word "Control" and is now ASQ. And it is why Juran's Quality Control Handbook is now Juran's Quality Handbook.

In our company, we define the QC as the quality controlling in processes from the material incoming inspection to the final manufacturing process before the release inspection process. the release inspection process is regarded as the QA. Is it a little different from other western companies? We are a Japanese style company!