Quality Assurance Terms Glossary/Q

From Elsmar Cove Quality Assurance and Business Standards Wiki

Q

QM - Quality Manual

QSM - Quality System Manual

QS-9000 - aka QS 9000 - A supplier development program developed by a consortium of chrysler/ford/general motors supplier requirement task force. The purpose of QS-9000 is to provide a common standard and a set of procedures for the suppliers of the three companies. QS-9000 quality system requirements for suppliers to daimler chrysler, ford and general motors will be obsolete the end of 2006, replaced by ISO/TS 16949.

Quad of Aims - A tool for ensuring aims are smart be consideration of purpose, customer and benefits, measures of success and deliverables

Quality - Attempts to define this term are legion. Working definitions have progressed from "meeting customer specifications" to "satisfying the customer", to "meeting and exceeding customer expectations", but even this last definition puts an unnecessary boundary on quality, because it is limited to the customer's current information and perspective. Deming points out that many innovations have occurred because the creator of a product or service was able to develop a new idea that was not even imagined by the customer.

Quality Alert - A communication tool used to increase awareness of a product-specific quality issue, or potential issue.

Quality Assurance - (1) Those activities associated with assuring the quality of a product or service. (2) part of quality management

Quality Assurance Control Charts - Also known as product acceptance charts. QA charts are the application of statistical techniques to the finished product testing data. Depending on the sampling techniques, QA charts may or may not represent statistical control of the manufacturing process.

Quality at the Source - A method of process control whereby each worker is responsible for his or her own work and performs needed inspections at each stage of the process.

Quality Circles - Brainstorming sessions involving employees of a firm whose goal is improving processes and process capability.

Quality Control - (1) The process relating to gathering process data and analyzing the data to determine whether the process exhibits nonrandom variation. (2) Broadest term used for the control of quality of a product by whatever methods are available. It includes instrument feedback loops, performance measurement and comparison to standards and responses based on that information and experience.

Quality Dimensions - Aspects of quality that help to better define what quality is. These include perceived quality, conformance, reliability and durability.

Quality Function Deployment - aka QFD - Involves developing a matrix that includes customer preferences and product attributes. A qfd matrix allows a firm to quantitatively analyze the relationship between customer needs and design attributes.

Quality Improvement - Part of quality management (3.2.8) focused on increasing the ability to fulfil quality requirements - acc to ISO9000:2005 3.2.12

Quality Improvement System - The result of the interactions between the various components that defines the quality policy in a firm.

Quality Loss Function aka QLF - A function that determines economic penalties that the customer incurs as a result of purchasing a nonconforming product.

Quality Management - The management processes that overarch and tie together quality control and quality assurance activities.

Quality Manual - The chief document for standard operating procedures, processes and specifications that define a quality management system. The manual serves as a permanent reference guide for the implementation and maintenance of the quality management system described by the manual.

Quality Maturity Analysis - aka QMA - A study in which a firm’s level of maturity relating to quality practices is assessed.

QMS - Quality Management System

Quality Measures - Ratios that are used to measure a firm’s performance in the area of quality management.

Quality Objective - Something sought, or aimed for, related to quality

Quality Plan - Integrates quality philosophies into an organization’s environment. The plan will include specific continuous improvement strategies and actions. Plans are developed at all levels from company to plant. Lower level plans should support the company’s strategic objectives. A quality plan emphasizes defect prevention through continuous improvement rather tha defect detection.

Quality Planning - Part of quality management focused on setting quality objectives and specifying necessary operational processes and related resources to fulfill the quality objectives - acc to ISO9000:2005 3.2.9

Quality Policy - The overall intentions and direction of an organization as regards quality as formally expressed by top management.

Quality Records - Written verification that a company’s methods, systems, and processes were performed according to the quality system documentation such as inspection or test results, internal audit results and calibration data.

Quality System Review - A formal evaluation by management of the status and adequacy of the quality system in relation to quality policy and/or new objectives resulting from changing circumstances.

Quality Triology - A three-pronged approach to managing for quality. The the three legs are quality planning (developing the products and processes required to meet customer needs), quality control (meeting product and process goals) and quality improvement (achieving unprecedented levels of performance).