Role of Quality and Performance in Project Management

Introduction
Project quality and total performance are two major measures of efficiency for any business, public
sector or private sector alike. These measures ensure that the consumer or the customer receive the
best product/service. Customer satisfaction is key to have a successful business. These measures
provide businesses with a series of robust methodologies in making decisions that lead to an increase in
the organizational profits and reduce costs, improve quality, promote safety and result in highest
consumer satisfaction.

There is a wide array of benefits which arise from setting a strict standard for quality and performance
measures. These benefits can range from better communication between teams to produce a great
project with minimal cost to great profit margins in this ever growing fast paced world. The increase in
collaboration, facilitating strategic objectives and implementing these strategic objectives. This paper
aims at defining these performance measures, delineating the intricacies to provide a better
understanding of successful project management and establishing the relationship between these
measures and the success of a project. This paper also aims at identifying and substantiating the key
dimensions of quality and performance.

Defining Quality and Quality Management

Quality is defined as the standard of a particular product/service in comparison to similar products or
services as a degree of excellence. Researching quality, finding the source of the problem, using an
effective countermeasure to rectify the problem, promotes a total success for the project and therefore
organizational success. Quality management can be defined as an approach for achieving high quality
output. A complete and thorough explanation of why something works or happens the way it does, in
terms of reliability and resilience can come a long way in successfully building a product and providing
services related to it.

It is consequential to identify the cost of poor quality so that one can determine the expenses associated
with engendering quality products. Cost of Poor Quality in the industry is an earnest quandary that the
industry is faced with; due to failure in averting defects and wastages during construction work. The cost
of poor quality remains unknown. The cost of poor quality on construction projects impacts the
economy of any industry with the reinvestment of funds to rework the poor quality.

There are many prosperity factors such as providing efficacious leadership, team development and
deploying adroit workforce, cash flow, defining quality objectives, just to start a few and if addressed
efficiently, can reduce the cost of poor quality. Losses can be reduced by handling these factors
efficaciously. In the realm of project management, the schedule, cost and quality achievement is withal
referred to as the iron triangle Out of these three aspects, it is the achievement of schedule and cost
compliances that the project management is attending to most of the time. This mundanely causes the
achievement of quality to slack down in industries.
Verbally expressed that the project quality is sometimes overlooked at and this can be visually perceived
as one of the many causes of poor quality in construction projects. The lack of quality in construction
projects is caused by poor or non-sustainable workmanship, unsafe methods, delays, cost overruns and
disputes. Value and quality is of concern to both public and private sector clients.

Important metrics of Quality:

Quality Assurance: The utilization of activities and programs to ascertain the quality of patient care.
These activities and programs are designed to monitor, obviate, and redress quality deficiencies and
noncompliance with the standards of care and practice.

Quality Amendment: An array of techniques and methods utilized for the amassment and analysis of
data amassed in the course of current healthcare practices in a defined care setting to identify and
resolve quandaries in the system and ameliorate the processes and outcomes of care.

Quality Management: A formal and orchestrated, systematic, organization wide (or networkwide)
approach to the monitoring, analysis, and amendment of organization performance, thereby continually
amending the extent to which providers conform to defined standards, the quality of patient care and
accommodations provided, and the likelihood of achieving desired patient outcomes.

Quality Models that are being utilized in today’s market:

1. FADE Model
a. Focus: Define the process to be improved
b. Analyze: Collect and analyze data to establish baseline and identify root cause
c. Develop: Based on the data from the previous steps, develop plans for improvement
d. Execute: Implement the action plan
e. Evaluate: Ongoing measure to ensure success

2. PSDA Model:
a. Plan: Plan a change
b. Do: Carry out the plan
c. Study: Evaluate the results of the change
d. Act: Decide what actions should be taken to improvise and repeat as needed.

3. Six Sigma Model: There are two Six Sigma models that are used worldwide. They are:
a. DMAIC – This is used for an existing process that is not meeting industry standards and
needs improvements
i. Define
ii. Measure
iii. Analyze
iv. Improve
v. Control
 b. DMADV – This model is used to evaluate and assure quality of new systems that are yet
to be developed.
i. Define
ii. Measure
iii. Analyze
iv. Design
v. Verify

Defining Performance and Performance Management

Performance is defined as the act of the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action,
task, or function.

Performance Management: The perpetual study and adaptation of the functions and processes of a
healthcare organization to increment the probability of achieving desired outcomes and to better meet
the desiderata of patients.

Important metrics of Performance Management

Root Cause Analysis: A process utilized by healthcare providers and administrators to identify the
fundamental or causal factors that contribute to variation in performance and outcomes or underlie the
occurrence of a sentinel event.

Standard: An authoritative verbalization that defines the performance prospects, structures, or

processes that must be substantially in place in an organization to enhance the quality of care.

 Elements of Performance Management

The elements of elements of performance management system include the following:

1. Setting of objectives
2. Measuring the performance
3. Feedback of performance results
4. Reward system based on performance outcomes
5. Amendments to objectives and activities

Project Management Models

There are many project management models that are being used in todays industry and the choice of
implementing one of these performance models depends on company standards, outcome expected,
simplicity, risks involved, level of quality that being aimed for.

1. 5 Step Model
a. Scope – define the scope of the project
b. Risks – risk evaluation
c. Inputs – these are based on the needs of the customer/consumer
 d. Project – involves the implementation of the project
e. Outputs – focus on the outcomes of the project and evaluate

2. PRINCE2 Process Model

a. Direction – Corporate management directs the leaders on the goals of the project
b. Management – leaders manage their teams and direct the teams on the project goals
c. Delivery – the teams deliver the end product

Conclusion

This paper explains the interrelationship between project management metrics such as quality and
performance and the success of the projects. The metrics are defined and are clearly explained. The
most widely and commonly used methods are described. It can be safely said that there are many
methods to achieve good performance metrics and these can be exemplified by many case studies as
provided in the references. Quality and Performance management can lead to exceptional success on
the project and add value to the organization.
References:

1. https://casemanagementstudyguide.com/ccm-knowledge-domains/case-management-
concepts/quality-and-performance-improvement-concepts/
2. https://www.projectguru.in/publications/models-and-theories-of-performance-management-
system/
3.