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Team Culminating Project Milestone 1

Maxwell Collay, Leslie De RRamona, Eric Miller, Christopher Theriault

College of Integrative Sciences, Arizona State University

OGL 422: Project Quality Management

Maggie Allen PhD

January 30th, 2022

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TEAM Culminating Project Milestone 1

Role of quality in project management:

Quality plays a vital role in project management, while quality can have an array of applications

from processes, products, and systems. Quality is crucial for setting standards of expectations for

everyone involved. For example, project managers who hold a high-quality level are more likely

to succeed in the field and retain regular customers. "If you meet or exceed requirements and

expectations, customers will not only accept the results without challenge or ill-feeling but may

come back to you for additional work when the need arises" (Rose, 2014, p. 13). Quality is often

sacrificed by project managers to satisfy the triple constraints, however, successful project

managers are able to balance the triple constraints while maintaining a precedent of quality.

Some in the field refer to quality as the fourth constraint. Therefore, it is essential as a project

manager to always include quality while abiding by the triple constraints. A project manager

must be privy to the quality management skillset, "plan quality management, manage quality,

and control quality" (Rose, 2014 p. 36). This will ensure that stakeholders and customers are

satisfied with the overall quality of the project or product. Rose describes a common concern

with quality as cost; however, it is vital to understand that quality does not automatically mean

expensive as a project manager. "The effects of failure to conform to specifications may include

dissatisfied customers, loss of customers, loss of business, loss of revenue, and failure of the

organization" (Rose, 2014, p. 14). Quality eliminates potential costs from multiple angles, such

as waste and efficiency in production. Quality is a facet of project management that everyone
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involved must discuss and understand from the highest level to the lowest. However, it is the

project manager's sole responsibility to produce a quality deliverable to be deemed a successful

project.

Six Key Attributes of Project Quality Management

Project quality management comprises three processes: quality planning, quality assurance, and

quality control, supported by numerous attributes to provide the structure needed to ensure the

stakeholder quality criteria are addressed. The attributes most crucial to project success are

planning, effective communication, measurement, analysis, monitoring, and continuous

improvement. Developing processes designed to support these attributes will help maintain

project health and improve satisfaction.

Planning in quality management helps define information critical to the project's success,

including guidelines, leadership and reporting structures, goals, processes to be reviewed, and

resources (Rose, 2014, p. 50). Developing a thorough quality management plan brings structure

and clarity to what may otherwise seem nebulous. Effective communication requires that the

correct message is crafted for the right audience and clearly relays a message or intended action

expected by the author. In addition, the project manager must maintain clarity in communication

within the project team, outside vendors, and stakeholders to ensure quality and address risk

(Rose, 2014, p. 27). Measurement allows the ability to judge project success based on goals

defined during the planning phase. Metrics are developed against the quality criteria specified in

key performance indicators to determine compliance to specifications (Rose, 2014, p. 75).

Therefore, creating a measurement system to support quality assurance requires a systematic

approach to ensure that the data collected is accurate and credible to allow stakeholders the
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confidence to make decisions based on the data (Rever, 2007). Understanding if the project

meets quality standards and its deliverables demonstrate compliance with those standards.

Knowing what those standards are is essential, and it is best to analyze the contract, project

team/organization, product use, and means of production (Rose, 2014). Doing this gives the team

an idea of what kind of quality is expected in the project and meets the requirements of all the

project stakeholders.

Monitoring projects helps ensure that the project meets quality standards and ensures that no

shortcuts are being used that might degrade the quality of the project. Instead, it prompts

awareness and integrity to the project's culture. "Proactive leaders, however, view project status

as a critical process that adds value to project management and facilitates communication with

senior management, project partners, and customers" (Brown, 2014, p. 118). Monitoring projects

keeps everyone in check with what they are doing, and stakeholders can receive updates about

the project's progression. Continuous quality improvement begins with gathering information

and all the data available. Seeing where progress can be made can be a beneficial change.

"Quality improvement is not easy. Hurdles include disillusionment with past efforts, belief that

better quality costs more, delegation, and resistance to change" (Rose, 2014, p. 92). Improvement

can be difficult, but in the long term, it can be beneficial and result in the organization having a

better reputation and competitiveness in the market.

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References

Rose, K. (2014). "Project Quality Management: Why, what and how, 2nd edition". J.Ross Publishing.

Rever, H. (2007). Quality in project management—a practical look at chapter 8 of the PMBOK® guide.

Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2007—Latin America, Cancún, Mexico.

Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.