INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY ASURANCE

Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you will be able to:

 Define the concepts of Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

 Analyze the different approaches and industrial aspects used in Quality
Assurance and Quality Control processes.
 Identify the major industrial uses of Quality Assurance.
 Recognize the importance of Quality Assurance for industries and
manufacturing.
 Evaluate the importance of customer involvement in Quality Assurance.
 Indicate the roles of QA and QC in software engineering and its related
fields.
 Recall the major certifications in Quality Assurance.
 Discuss different scenarios where industries require the implementation
of QA within their processes.
 Describe the stepwise approach of implementing a QA procedure in
general industrial practices and software development.
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality Assurance (or QA) is a familiar term used in manufacturing and
service industries. It describes the systematic efforts undertaken to ensure that
the products are designed according to the contractual requirements and
expectations of the customers. It also ensures the compliance of the products
with the agreed-upon specifications of design, performance, reliability, and
maintenance.
Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control

While quality control and assurance are often used interchangeably, they might
differ. For instance, quality assurance includes process oriented efforts and
procedural tasks implemented in a quality system to ensure that a product,
service, or action meets its requirements and goals. In quality assurance, error
prevention is done by systematic measurement, comparing to a standard, and
monitoring processes in a related feedback loop.
In contrast to quality assurance, quality control emphasizes on process output.
QA vs. QC
While talking about QA, you must know that these activities and tasks cover
almost the whole quality system, while QC activities are a subset of QA
activities. Also, some parts of the quality system may not be covered by QA/QC
tasks and responsibilities, but they may still be a part of QA/QC.
Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance ensures that confidence in the quality of a product remains

intact. There are two aspects of this confidence in the product's quality.
(1) The confidence of the management, and
(2) The confidence of consumers, third parties, regulatory agencies,
government, and certifiers
It can be said that QA processes are directly related to different aspects of
manufacturing a product.
Quality Control

As mentioned prior, Quality Control is part of quality assurance. It relates to the

fulfillment of quality requirements. QC focuses on the operational activities to
fulfill the quality requirements, such as product inspection, to confirm if the
product is conforming or not.
The Principles of QA
Quality Assurance methods work on two important principles:

1. Suitability of the product for its intended purpose.

2. Elimination of mistakes.
These two principles manifest throughout different QA processes, such as
managing raw materials' quality, assemblies, components, products, and
production-related services. They also govern the processes concerned with
management, production, and inspection. An interesting way to link quality
assurance with engineering is that, while an engineer might develop a new
product.
QA cannot be limited to manufacturing and services sectors only. Instead, its
applications can be found in business and non-business activities alike. Some
prominent examples of this phenomenon include the implementation of QA in
the banking sector, education, transportation, retail, insurance, investment,
design, and consultatio
Approaches in Quality Assurance
Stress Testing a Finished Product
Statistical Control of the Data
Total Quality Management

It's a good idea to stress test a finished market product. This means using a
product until it breaks, which can happen under stresses like increased
vibration, humidity, or temperature. This can show a lot of unexpected flaws in
the product, after which planning and production processes are changed. Often,
very simple changes can make a big difference in how well a product works.
e.g. painting the product with mold-resistant emulsion.
ISO 17025 and Quality Assurance
ISO 17025 is a popular QA standard that presents general requirements for
executing QA tests. This standard has 15 management and 10 technical
requirements for laboratories that want to be accredited. Some of the major
requirements put forth by this standard are fulfilling the quality requirements
and complying with regulations and environmental objectives.

Statistical Control of the Data

Total Quality Management

Statistical control refers to how objective and subjective statistics are looked
upon. Many companies use statistical process control to keep track of quality
data to improve quality. Then, statistical charts differentiate between common
cause variation and special cause variation.
ISO 17025 and Quality Assurance
ISO 17025 is a popular QA standard that presents general requirements for
executing QA tests. This standard has 15 management and 10 technical
requirements for laboratories that want to be accredited. Some of the major
requirements put forth by this standard are fulfilling the quality requirements
and complying with regulations and environmental objectives.
Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management helps the employees continuously improve their

abilities to provide valuable products and services to the customers.
TQM assumes that all levels of an organization's leadership and staff are
responsible for maintaining high standards of product and process quality.
Long-term success is achieved through satisfied customers, with an emphasis on
constant improvement across the board.
ISO 17025 and Quality Assurance
ISO 17025 is a popular QA standard that presents general requirements for
executing QA tests. This standard has 15 management and 10 technical
requirements for laboratories that want to be accredited. Some of the major
requirements put forth by this standard are fulfilling the quality requirements
and complying with regulations and environmental objectives.
Quality Assurance in Industrial Practices
QA in Medical Industry
QA in Aerospace Industry
QA in Software Development

The importance of QA in the medical industry cannot be neglected. It helps

figure out the standards of medical services and equipment. Hospitals and labs
seek third-party help to ensure that tools like X-ray machines, Diagnostic
Radiology, and AERB comply with the designated standards. QA is especially
important for making and releasing new medicines and medical gadgets. The
role of the Research Quality Association (RQA) is crucial in this regard, as it
promotes research quality in life sciences with the help of its regulatory bodies
and members.
How do Industries Introduce Novel QA Methods in their Processes?
While introducing any new QA methods and practices, industries hire
consultants and contractors. These professionals use various strategies in this
regard, such as QMS (Quality Management System), Six Sigma, CMMI,
Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Advanced Product Quality Planning
(APQP), Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Failure Mode and Effects
Analysis (FMEA).
QA in Aerospace Industry

In the aerospace industry, QA is often used in place of QA. Product Assurance is

one of the essential components alongside engineering and project management
in the aerospace industry. PA in the aerospace industry is especially important
because a single failure can sometimes have disastrous effects on people's lives,
the environment, a device, or a task. It is independent regarding its organization,
budget, and product development. This means it only answers to the highest
management level, has its own budget, and doesn't use labor to help make a
product. Product assurance is the same as project management, but it looks at
things from the customer's point of view.
How do Industries Introduce Novel QA Methods in their Processes?
While introducing any new QA methods and practices, industries hire
consultants and contractors. These professionals use various strategies in this
regard, such as QMS (Quality Management System), Six Sigma, CMMI,
Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Advanced Product Quality Planning
(APQP), Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Failure Mode and Effects
Analysis (FMEA).
QA in Software Development

Thousands of software products make their way into the market every year.
Stringent processes and methods are deployed to ensure they are up to the mark.
These include ISO 25010, SPICE (Software Process Improvement and
Capability Determination), CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration), etc.
The enterprise quality management software is also used to rectify supply chain
problems and regulatory compliance issues.
How do Industries Introduce Novel QA Methods in their Processes?
While introducing any new QA methods and practices, industries hire
consultants and contractors. These professionals use various strategies in this
regard, such as QMS (Quality Management System), Six Sigma, CMMI,
Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Advanced Product Quality Planning
(APQP), Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Failure Mode and Effects
Analysis (FMEA).
Company Quality and Quality Assurance
The concept of company quality goes hand-in-hand with Quality Assurance.
The concept entails that success would become imminent if all the departments
within an organization approach quality openly. Here, the focus of the
company-wide quality approach is emphasized on the four major aspects, i.e.

1. Elements such as job management, adequate processes, controls, record

identification, and performance and integrity criteria.
2. Competence, i.e. skills, qualifications, experiences, and knowledge.
3. Soft elements such as organizational culture, team spirit, quality
relationships, motivation, and integrity.
4. Infrastructure.

ISO 9000 - QMS Family & Fundamental Principles and ISO 9001:2015 -
Quality Management System (QMS) are two important courses on Alison that
can teach you about the role of ISO 9000 in formulating a well-functioning
Quality Management System to ensure Quality Assurance within the
organizations.
Industrial Aspects of QA and QC
Various companies may not understand the idea of quality control because they
don't have a physical product to check and control. In such organizations, the
quality assurance role may not be limited to controlling the service's quality.
However, it may include controlling the quality of any products used to provide
the service.
Inspection, QA, and QC
Audit Functions and QA
Inspection refers to the systematic procedure of assessing, scrutinizing, and
evaluating a product or service to determine one or more of its attributes.
This process involves comparing the identified characteristics with
predetermined specifications to ascertain whether they meet the required
standards. Examining products, processes, and other outcomes is imperative to
ensure that the object being produced or the service being rendered conforms to
the prescribed specifications.
Auditing is an essential concept associated with Quality Assurance. If you want
to learn more about internal auditing, you can enroll in Internal Auditing -
Fundamental Principles & Concepts & ISO Management System Audit
Techniques and Best Practices courses on Alison.
Audit Functions and QA

Auditing makes up an integral component of QA functions. Ensuring quality is

crucial as it compares existing conditions with the prescribed standards and
enables the communication of such outcomes to the higher authorities.
Auditing is an essential concept associated with Quality Assurance. If you want
to learn more about internal auditing, you can enroll in Internal Auditing -
Fundamental Principles & Concepts & ISO Management System Audit
Techniques and Best Practices courses on Alison.
Bibliography

1. American Society for Quality. “Quality Assurance vs Quality Control:

Definitions & Differences | ASQ.” Asq.org, 2015,
asq.org/quality-resources/quality-assurance-vs-control. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Module Quiz

1. _____ describes the systematic efforts undertaken to ensure that the

products are designed according to the contractual expectations of the
customers. (Ans. = Quality Assurance)

2. Which of these terms resonates the best with Quality Control? (Ans.
Process output)
3. QA services are only limited to manufacturing and services industries
only. (Ans. False)

4. _____ testing refers to deliberately putting a finished product under

increased vibration, humidity, and temperature conditions. (Ans. = Stress)

5. In the aerospace industry, Quality Assurance gets replaced with _____

Assurance. (Ans. = Product)

6. Which four major aspects are concerned with company quality? Choose
four answers. (Ans. = CompetenceJob management and adequate
controls Infrastructure Organizational culture and team)

7. _____ refers to the systematic procedure of assessing, scrutinizing, and

evaluating a product or service to determine one or more of its attributes.
(Ans. = Inspection)

8. _____ refers to continuously improving employees' capabilities to

provide consumers with valuable products and services. (Ans. = Total
Quality Management)

The Importance of Quality Assurance

The importance of QA can be understood from these points:

 It ensures that customers are met with the correct products.

 It helps companies improve their reputations.
 It controls costs by helping with the identification and removing defective
products.

In addition to preserving customer satisfaction and loyalty, implementing

quality assurance techniques can result in decreased expenses associated with
replacing defective products or reimbursing dissatisfied customers due to
inadequate service. Possessing a high-quality product or service can yield
benefits in terms of customer acquisition and retention, as well as the ability to
command premium pricing.
Also, the extensive use of social media facilitates the effortless dissemination of
favorable and unfavorable evaluations regarding a company's merchandise and
amenities. Here, a defective QA can cost an organization its credibility and
make it lose its clients and customer. Lastly, defective QA processes can even
have legal repercussions for the said organization.
The Three Essentials of a Quality Assurance Strategy
The diagram on this page shows the three essential components of any
successful Quality Assurance strategy. Here, it is also important to remember
that The American Society for Quality defines Quality Assurance as the
planned and systematic activities are implemented in a quality system so that
requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled.

What are the Examples of QA Methods?

Some of the popular QA methods, frameworks, and strategies include:

 Business process re-  Statistical sampling.

engineering.
 Six Sigma and Lean
 Kaizen. Manufacturing.
 ISO standards.  Ishikawa diagrams.
 Benchmarking.  Standard Operating
Procedures.
 Operations analysis.
 Ishikawa diagrams, etc.
 Cost-benefit analysis.
QA and Customer Involvement
Any procedure regarding quality improvement must begin by involving
customers from the beginning. Whether the company is giving its output as a
service or a product, it must fulfill its clients' expectations about quality. Here,
companies can use a customer portal and ask them about their expectations
regarding the quality standards of their products.
This customer portal is also helpful because:

 It provides customers with opportunities to report any discrepancy they

have found in the product.
 Customers can also use this portal to engage in an open dialog with the
manufacturers (or service providers.)
Lastly, such customer portals are also helpful for companies as they can inform
customers about any improvements or modifications they have made to their
products after receiving feedback.
Components of a QA Approach
Whether a company uses Kaizen, Six Sigma, or an ISO standard in its QA
methods, it must know the components of every QA approach. For example,
some of the common components of every strategy include the following:

 Process documentation.
 Process checklists.
 Process reviews.
Process Documentation
The center of every QA initiative is a well-documented process with clearly
stated specifications. For example, a cake-making business might discover a
recipe that gets customer attention and praise. In order to keep and increase its
customer base, this business must survey its clients and tweak its recipe if
needed.
This means that the cake's recipe must be documented and include details about
every ingredient, including the cake's texture and topping. If the business wants
to appease its customers, it must revisit this documented cake recipe, or else
things won't work out. Many technological tools, such as specific software
products, can be implemented in this documentation process. These software
products can make this documentation accessible, quickly identify flaws, and
promptly guide the business to fix them.
Process Checklists and Process Reviews
Process Checklists
Process checklists are among the commonest QA techniques. They help
ensure that all the steps involved in the QA process have been adequately
fulfilled. Now, these process checklists can either be based on paper or they can
be digitalized. While paper-based methods can be a source of potential errors
and inefficiencies, digital methods can allow a more scrutinized and clear
approach to determine the processes that were adequately fulfilled during the
QA process.
Process Reviews

The quality assurance methods discussed to this page entail the large amounts of
data they generate. Whether this data comprises detailed specifications, standard
operating procedures, benchmarking data, or control production, it must be
readily accessible and requires rigorous organization and management.
Intranet and QA Information Management
The intranet is a local communications network that uses World Wide Web
to share information. Companies can use intranet within their QA processes to
help them with collaboration, internal communication, and computing services.
Some ways the intranet can benefit companies with the management of their
large amount of QA data are listed as follows:
  Intranet software products have a file explorer interface that can provide
easy access to the QA information.
 These products have an in-built file and document storage function to
help them with data management.
 Intranet data is stored in a cloud, ensuring its 24/7 accessibility.
 The content management system present tin an intranet software allows
access only to the latest information related to QA.
Bibliography

1. MyHub, Team. “Quality Assurance Methods: Maximize Performance with an

Intranet.” MyHub Intranet Solutions, 14 Mar. 2019,
www.myhubintranet.com/quality-assurance-methods/. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.

Quiz 1. How many essential components of a QA strategy are there? (Ans. 3)

3. Any procedure regarding quality improvement must begin by involving

_____ from the beginning. (Ans. Customers)
4. _____ help ensure that all the steps involved in the QA process have been
adequately fulfilled. (Process Checklist)
5. The _____ is a local communications network that uses World Wide Web
to share information. (Ans. Intranet)
6. Process _____ allow companies to monitor the constantly changing
operating dynamics, introducing new technologies, and the impact of
changing key personnel. (Ans. Reviews)

QA in Software Testing
In software testing, Quality Assurance can be cited as a technique to guarantee
the quality of software goods or services offered to clients by a business.
Quality assurance aims to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the
software development process under the quality standards established for
software products. The procedure implemented in QA in software testing is
the well-known PDCA cycle, also known as the Deming Cycle.

There are four phases in the PDCA cycle i.e.

 Plan: The organization must plan and establish the objectives concerned
with its objectives and determine the relevant processes to help it deliver
a high-quality product.
 Do: It refers to the development and testing of processes and making any
minor changes along the way.
 Check: Check refers to process monitoring, modification, and
determining if it complies with the predetermined objectives.
 Act: It means implementing those actions that allow achieving the
improvements in the software development process.

The PDCA Cycle

In software development and testing, these four steps are repeated to ensure that
the organization evaluates and improves its processes regularly. The PDCA
cycle in the QA process helps organizations ensure they are designing and
implementing their products with the correct procedures.

QC in Software Engineering
In software engineering and development, the role of QC is to ensure the
integrity and quality of software products. It looks at the quality of the end
products and the results rather than the methods employed to produce them. The
primary aim of QC in software engineering processes is to determine that the
products comply with the requirements and specifications entailed by the
clients. Thus, QC remains helpful in identifying a flaw and rectifying it before
delivering it to the customer.

The role of QC cannot be limited to products and their quality only. Rather, it is
also used to evaluate the skills of the people involved in the software
development process and match their skills with their certifications and training.
With such a stringent evaluation, QC ensures that the software product
delivered to the customers is without defects or flaws.
To prevent mixing up the concepts of QA and QC, it would be essential to
remember that QA examines and changes the software development
processes. In contrast, QC checks the integrity and quality of the finished
products.
QC vs. QA in Software Engineering

Activities in QC Activities in QA

Demonstration Quality audit

Product testing Defining the product-manufacturing process

Identification and selection of the appropriate

Inspection of the product tools

Checkpoint review of the Training according to quality standards and

product processes

Quality Control Quality Assurance

It focuses on the product It focuses on the process leading to the

 creation of the product

It is a reactive approach It is a proactive approach

Quality control finds Quality assurance prevents defects within
defects within the products the products

SQA vs. Software Testing

Although the concept of QA and QC is pretty much present in the software
engineering industry, it is till essential to know that Quality Assurance in this
field is replaced by Software Quality Assurance (SQA),
while Quality Control is replaced by Software Testing.
Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Software Testing
SQA is the engineering process that
ensures the quality of the software It tests a product for any flaws
product before launching it in the market
It consists of activities concerned with It consists of activities that verify a
implementing procedures, processes, and software product. Example of a
standards. Audit testing is an important software testing procedure include
example of SQA Review testing
SQA is process-focused Software testing is product-focused
It is a reactive and corrective
It is a proactive and preventive technique technique
Software testing is applied only to
SAQ can be applied to all products of the the product being tested by the
organization organization

The Five Functions in QA

Certifications in Quality Assurance
ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is a popular QA standard that was devised in 1987. It allows
organizations to ensure the quality of their products for their customers and their
products. Any organization willing to get an ISO 9001 license is usually audited
according to its functions, products, services, and processes. The primary aim of
the ISO 9001 standard is to review and verify if the organization...

 Follows the designated process.

 If its existing processes require any modification.
ISO 9001 helps organizations in various ways, such as:

 Increasing their profitability.  Enhancing employees'

productivity.
 Improving their local and
international trade.  Ensuring customer
satisfaction.
 Waste reduction.

Certifications in Quality Assurance

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integrated) Model
This approach is designed for process improvement in software processes. The
basis of CMMI is the process maturity framework and aids the software
industry in business processes. There are five levels in CMMI based on the
maturity of QA mechanisms.
  CMMI Level 1 : This is the initial stage. Here, the quality environment is
unstable, and processes are neither followed nor documented.
 CMMI Level 2: This is the repeatable stage. Here, some of the
repeatable processes are followed. At this level, it is ensured that the
processes are followed at the project level.
 CMMI Level 3: This stage comprises defined and
documented processes at the organizational level. These defined and
documented processes can be improved to some degree.
 CMMI Level 4: This is the managed level where process metrics are
used for effective controls of the processes being followed.
 CMMI Level 5: This is the optimizing level that emphasizes continuous
improvement with innovation and learning.
The Test Maturity Model (TMM)
The TMM analyzes the maturity of processes within a Testing Environment.
Like CMMI, this model also has five levels. These levels are as follows:

 Level 1 - The Initial Level: This level does not follow any quality
standard for testing processes. Instead, only ad-hoc methods are used
here.
 Level 2 - The Definition Level: This level pertains to defining processes,
preparing strategies, plans, and test cases.
 Level 3 - The Integration Level: In this level, testing is done across the
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This is an integration of
testing with the development activities.
 Level 4 - The Management and Measurement Level: This level
reviews the requirements and designs along with setting the criteria for
each testing level.
 Level 5 - The optimization Level: This testing level involves various
preventive techniques and uses tool support for improvement of the
testing processes and standards.
 Bibliography

1. Hamilton, Thomas. “What Is Quality Assurance(QA)? Process, Methods,

Examples.” Guru99.com, 21 Feb. 2019, www.guru99.com/all-about-quality-
assurance.html. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.

Module Quiz

1. The procedure implemented in QA in software testing is the SDCA cycle.

(Ans. False)

2. In the context of software testing, QC examines and modifies the

software development processes. (Ans. False)

3. Which of these activities are part of QC? Choose two answers. (Ans. =
Inspection of the product & Product testing)

4. In software development, Quality Control gets replaced by _____. (Ans.

= Software testing)

5. What are the features of software testing? Choose three answers. (Ans. =
it is a reactive technique; it is only applied to the product being tested
by the organization and it is product focused)

6. How many functions are there in QA? (Ans. 5)

7. The CMMI Level 2 is the _____ stage. (Ans. = Repeatable)

8. Match the levels of certifications in QA with their description

(Ans. = Level 1 - The Initial Level: This level does not follow any
quality standard for testing processes. Instead, only ad-hoc methods are
used here.
Level 2 - The Definition Level: This level pertains to defining processes,
preparing strategies, plans, and test cases.
Level 3 - The Integration Level: In this level, testing is done across the
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This is an integration of
testing with the development activities.
Level 4 - The Management and Measurement Level: This level
reviews the requirements and designs along with setting the criteria for
each testing level.
 Level 5 - The optimization Level: This testing level involves various
preventive techniques and uses tool support for improvement of the
testing processes and standards.

9. The focus of Quality Control is the _____ being designed. (Ans. =

Product)

10. While talking about the five functions of QA, _____ refers to the master
plan of the entire system. (Ans. = validation)

11. In CMMI, level 4 refers to the level where some repeatable processes are
followed. (Ans. False)

Where Will Industries Require QA?

As a business concept, the role of QA is to eliminate mistakes while
manufacturing a product and improve its quality. QA can be applied to various
industrial processes and help manufacturers identify and eliminate problems
with their products. Some prominent examples where QA can be applied are:
QA in Manufacturing

Quality issues cannot be avoided completely in the manufacturing sector. With

the help of QA professionals, manufacturers can ensure to monitor and fix these
problems quickly and efficiently. Consider an example of a famous clothing
brand whose customers have complained that the color of their clothes fades
easily. In this scenario, the brand's QA professionals will look into the matter
and determine the root cause of the problem, which can be the chemical
composition of the color, for example. By identifying and reporting the
problem, they can relay the information to the decision-makers in the brand,
who can then take prompt action.

QA for Reducing Human Error

QA can help reduce human error in the services and substantially enhance the
products' quality. Consider the example of a banking application. Its interface
might be designed such that the users enter excessive amounts while performing
online transactions. The QA team can identify this problem through customer
feedback and inform the developers to make the necessary changes within the
app's interface.
Where Will Industries Require QA?
This page continues various scenarios where industries will require QA in their
processes:
Systematic Improvements
Process Modification
Design Analysis
Food Safety
Security Modifications

This refers to the tools, such as websites, that assist companies in running their
operations. The majority of the time, visitors can successfully access websites.
However, improving the quality of some pages can improve the overall
accessibility of the website. The QA team can relay this information to the site's
web host, who will make necessary improvements to the website's design.
Process Modification
Processes are different actions that companies take to deliver their goods or
services and the actions that help in that delivery. For example, suppose a
regulatory authority notifies a bank that it has discovered numerous errors in
customer accounts. In that case, the bank's QA team can investigate the
processes of maintaining the bank accounts.

These QA can find that some transactions were entered erroneously by an

employee, leading to duplicate customer records. After that, the quality team
would take action to correct these records, ensure that clients receive the
information about the correction of these records, and get recompensated. Then,
a final report can be submitted to the regulators.
Design Analysis

One of the primary duties of the QA professionals is concentrate on how

manufacturers develop their products. A quality issue can arise when a
manufacturer creates controls for a vehicle navigation system that are difficult
to use. Investigators of the issue might come to the conclusion that a larger
screen would be simpler to use and less distracting for the drivers, resulting
in reduced accidents. The QA team can also perform a product recall to stop
future customer harm and business risk. After fixing the identified issues, the
manufacturer can send clients replacements.

Food Safety
In the food industry, quality is crucial since poor food can adversely influence
consumers' health and safety. In order to enforce quality in this sector,
numerous regulatory procedures exist, and QA teams ensure that the enterprises
in the food industry will abide by these requirements.

For instance, a food manufacturer might collaborate closely with customer

service departments to get client input on their services. QA professionals can
then look into these complaints and identify the root of the problem and apply
solutions.
Security Modifications

QA teams and IT departments frequently collaborate within firms on security-

related issues. For example, a QA team might notice that hackers are gaining
unauthorized access to client records and posing a quality and security hazard.
In order to ensure that quality returns to the appropriate standards, they will
communicate this issue to the senior executives. They will also work closely
with the IT experts and quality assurance teams to work together in these
circumstances.
Industrial Implementation of the QA Processes
Now onwards, we will look at some of the ways QA processes are applied in the
industries. In this regard, we will look at the implementation of QA in general
industries and then in software development.
How QA Applies to General Industrial Practices?

The majority of quality control programs are created with customer

satisfaction in mind. In this regard, the organization needs procedures,
methods, organization, and resources to maintain its focus on the activities it
implements to achieve its organizational objectives and goals.
The correct implementation of QA policies can result in elevated levels of
customer contentment as organizations develop commodities, amenities, and
initiatives that satisfy their clients and demonstrate their commitment to
delivering what they promised. When talking about the general industries, we
can say that seven steps are required to implement effective QA procedures.
On the upcoming pages, we will analyze each of these seven steps in detail.
QA in General Industrial Practices
Following are the steps regarding Quality Assurance that are generally practiced
in industries worldwide:
Step 1 - Identifying the Organizational Goals
Step 2 -
Step 3 -

The quality assurance process commences with establishing the correlation

between the employees' job responsibilities and the company or organization's
objectives. Employees must possess a comprehensive understanding of the
organization's mission, vision, and values, their relevance to the organization,
and their individual responsibilities.
All newly hired personnel are recommended to undergo a comprehensive
orientation program encompassing the organization's vision, mission, values,
and objectives. The initial phase in the QA process involves understanding the
distinct objectives of each individual and their alignment with the organization's
goals.
Step 2 -

In this step, the organization must identify the factors that make its QA system
successful. These factors can vary from a well-designed production process,
technical support, and customer support to financial security and job
satisfaction. After enlisting these factors, the organizations must consistently
work on their management.
Step 3 -

Here, the organization must identify the important customers that make its QA
system workable. By learning about these customers and their needs, various
programs and services can be developed for them, who often work as vendors,
suppliers, or volunteers for the organization.
QA in General Industrial Practices
Step 4 - Gaining Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is an integral component of QA. By receiving customer
feedback consistently, organizations can rapidly identify and solve problems
with their products' quality and prevent serious issues from arising in the first
place. There are various methods of asking customers for feedback, such as:
  Customer feedback can be obtained via regular surveys via email or
phone. Platforms, such as Whatsapp Business, can also be used for this
purpose.
 Customers can be called after they have bought a product and asked about
their experience with the product.
 Direct in-person surveys after delivering the product can also be helpful.
Complaints from the customers or their returned products can also serve as
excellent indicators of their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Regardless of the
organization's method of getting feedback, the only thing to be ensured
is continuous feedback.
QA in General Industrial Practices
Step 5 - Continuous Improvement
Step 6 - Choosing the Appropriate Quality Management Software
Step 7 - Measuring the Results

The organization must utilize the data obtained from customer feedback to
modify its QA procedure. The suggested measures may involve enhancing
leadership skills, providing customer service education, increasing staffing
levels, rectifying production procedures, modifying the manufactured or
delivered product or service, etc.
QA in General Industrial Practices
Step 6 - Choosing the Appropriate Quality Management Software
The quality assurance software chosen by the organization must be the one that
facilitates the implementation, maintenance, and enhancement of its QA
processes,.
Step 7 - Measuring the Results

One of the many goals of implementing the QA system within an organization

is to ensure the satisfaction of the customers' needs. Failing to do so can result
in a declination of the ROI and failure of the organization to persist. Therefore,
the organization must ensure that all its members know its measurable goals
from the beginning. And if there is a problem in achieving those goals, then
everyone must know about the required corrective action to be taken so that
customer satisfaction can be ensured and guaranteed.
QA in Software Development
After learning about the requirements of QA in general industry practices, we
will now look at the QA process in software development.
Step 1 - Requirement Analysis

In this software development phase, QA professionals work alongside

developers. This way, they can identify issues immediately instead of waiting
for the product's development phase. Here, QA professionals must comprehend
the standards upon which the product is being developed. Then, they develop
testing guidelines relevant to the chosen software product
Step 2 - Testing
The previous step (i.e. requirement analysis) demonstrates how QA
professionals can plan the testing of the software product. Then, they use this
information to determine the software testing, testing scope, budgets, and
schedules. In addition to specifying the techniques and tools for bug tracking
and reporting, the QA professionals also assign particular testing assignments to
experts at this stage.
Step 3 - Designing Tests

Here, the QA professionals create checklists for measuring the test

outcomes against each requirement. They can begin with exploratory testing,
where they use software the same way an end-user would use it. This approach
helps them identify problems beforehand. Each test has an associated
hypothesis to predict that test's outcomes. The testing also contains conditions,
data, and steps for validating each functionality.
Step 4 - Performing Tests and Reporting the Relevant Findings

While software developers perform tests on specific areas of the software

product, QA professionals test the Application Programming Interface (API)
and User Interface (UI). During this stage, QA professionals also conduct
manual tests. Whether these software developers or the QA professionals find
any problem, they report them with the help of a tracking system. Software
developers also perform automated tests to produce reports and execute test
scripts.
Step 5 - Rerunning the Tests
In this stage, the IT and QA teams repeat tests until all of the identified issues
are resolved. This phase also ensures that every bug is promptly identified.
Regression tests are also used at this stage to ensure that the fixes made in the
product don't cause any new issues for the already existing functions of the
software product.
Step 6 - Releasing the Test

After going through the different testing stages, developers list the implemented
features and the bugs they have identified and resolved. Then, they pass on
these lists to the QA professionals, who analyze and investigate the changes'
effect on the product's functionalities. QA professionals also perform smoke
tests at this stage. These smoke tests are a series of tests related to computer
programming and software testing, and they confirm the stability of each
software product designed.
Bibliography

1. Team, Indeed Editorial. “Quality Assurance Examples and How to

Implement QA Systems.” Indeed, 27 Mar. 2023, uk.indeed.com/career-
advice/career-development/quality-assurance-examples. Accessed 9 Apr.
2023.
2. Landerville, Tim. “7 Essential Steps to Implementing a Process of
Quality Assurance.” Www.linkedin.com, 28 Jan. 2015,
www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-essential-steps-implementing-process-quality-
tim-landerville/. Accessed 9 Apr. 2023.

Module Quiz
1. The majority of quality control programs are created with _____
satisfaction in mind. (Ans. Customer)

2. _____ tests are a series of tests related to computer programming and

software testing, and they confirm the stability of each software product
designed. (Ans. = Smoke)

3. Arrange the steps for a QA strategy in general industrial practices. (Ans.

=
a. Identifying the organizational goals
b. Identifying the success factors
c. Identification of external and internal customers
d. Gaining the customer feedback
e. Continuous improvement
f. Choosing the appropriate quality management software)
4. Arrange the steps of QA in software development. (Ans. =
i. Requirement analysis
ii. Testing
iii. Designing tests
iv. Performing tests
v. Rerunning the tests
vi. Releasing the test

5. At what stage are the smoke tests performed on the software product?
(Ans. =1)

6. Customer feedback would only be useful for the organization if it is

_____. (Ans.=continuous)

Lesson Summary
Approaches in Quality Insurance

 Stress Testing a Finished Product: Stress testing a product means using a

product until it breaks, which can happen under stresses like increased
vibration, humidity, or temperature.
 Statistical Control of the Data: Statistical control refers to how objective
and subjective statistics are looked upon. Many companies use statistical
process control to keep track of quality data to improve quality.
 Total Quality Management: Total Quality Management helps the
employees continuously improve their abilities to provide valuable
products and services to the customers.
Company Quality and Quality Assurance

 Elements such as job management, adequate processes, controls, record

identification, and performance and integrity criteria.
 Competence i.e. skills, qualifications, experiences, and knowledge.
 Soft elements such as organizational culture, team spirit, quality
relationships, motivation, and integrity.
 Infrasstructure.
Components of a QA Approach

 Process documentation: The center of every QA initiative is a well-

documented process with clearly stated specifications.
 Process Checklists: They help ensure that all the steps involved in the QA
process have been adequately fulfilled.
 Process Reviews: They allow companies to monitor the constantly
changing operating dynamics, introducing new technologies, and the
impact of changing key personnel.
QA in General Industrial Practices

 Step 1 - Identifying the Organizational Goals: The quality assurance

process establishes the correlation between the employees' job
responsibilities and the organizational objectives.
 Step 2 - Identifying the Success Factors: In this step, the organization
must identify the factors that make its QA system successful.
 Step 3 - Identification of External and Internal Customers: In this step,
the organization must identify the important customers that make its QA
system workable.
QA in General Industrial Practices

 Step 4 - Gaining Customer Feedback: Customer feedback is an integral

component of QA. By receiving customer feedback consistently,
organizations can rapidly identify and solve problems with their products'
quality and prevent serious issues from arising in the first place.
 Step 5 - Continuous Improvement: The organization must utilize the data
obtained from customer feedback to modify its QA procedure.
 Step 6 - Choosing the Appropriate Quality Management Software: The
quality assurance software chosen by the organization must be the one
 that facilitates the implementation, maintenance, and enhancement of its
QA processes.
 Step 7 - Measuring the Results: The organization must ensure its
members know its measurable goals. If there is a problem in achieving
those goals, then everyone must know about the required corrective
action to be taken so that customer satisfaction can be ensured and
guaranteed.
QA in Software Development

 Step 1 - Requirement Analysis: In this software development phase, QA

professionals work alongside developers.
 Step 2 - Testing: In this step, they use this information to determine the
software testing, testing scope, budgets, and schedules.
 Step 3 - Designing Tests: Here, the QA professionals create checklists for
measuring the test outcomes against each requirement.
 Step 4 - Performing Tests and Reporting the Relevant Findings: In this
stage, software developers perform tests on specific areas of the software
product, QA professionals test the Application Programming Interface
(API) and User Interface (UI). QA professionals also conduct manual
tests in this phase.
 Step 5 - Rerunning the Tests: In this stage, the IT and QA teams repeat
tests until all identified issues are resolved.
 Step 6 - Releasing the Test: Developers list the implemented features and
the bugs they have identified and resolved. Then, the QA
professionals pass on these lists to the QA professionals, who analyze and
investigate the changes' effect on the product's functionalities.

Quality Assurance Techniques and Methodologies - Course

Assessment
Learning Outcomes

You will be analyzed on the following learning outcomes: -

Define the concepts of Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analyze the different approaches and industrial aspects used in Quality

Assurance and Quality Control processes
Identify the major industrial uses of Quality Assurance - Recognize the
importance of Quality Assurance for industries and manufacturing

Evaluate the importance of customer involvement in Quality Assurance -

Indicate the roles of QA and QC in software engineering and its related
fields

Recall the major certifications in Quality Assurance - Discuss different

scenarios where industries require the implementation of QA within their
processes

Describe the stepwise approach of implementing a QA procedure in

general industry practices and software development

Smoke testing, also known as “Build Verification Testing” or “Build

Acceptance Testing,” is a type of software testing that is typically performed at
the beginning of the development process to ensure that the most critical
functions of a software application are working correctly.

Module 2: Course assessment Quiz

1. _____ help ensure that all the steps involved in the QA process
have been adequately fulfilled. (Ans.= Process checklist)

2. What are the features of software testing? Choose three answers.

(Ans. = it is a reactive technique, it is product focused, and it is
only applied to product being tested be the organization.)

3. Any procedure regarding quality improvement must begin by

involving _____ from the beginning. (Ans. Customers)

4. While talking about the five functions of QA, _____ refers to the
master plan of the entire system. (Ans. = Validation)

5. The focus of Quality Control is the _____ being designed (Ans. =

Product)

6. Which of these terms resonates the best with Quality Control? (Ans.
= Process output)

7. Match the levels of certifications in QA with their description.

(Ams. = Level 1 –
The Initial Level: This level does not follow any quality standard for
testing processes. Instead, only ad-hoc methods are used here.
 Level 2 - The Definition Level: This level pertains to defining processes,
preparing strategies, plans, and test cases.
Level 3 - The Integration Level: In this level, testing is done across the
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This is an integration of
testing with the development activities.
Level 4 - The Management and Measurement Level: This level
reviews the requirements and designs along with setting the criteria for
each testing level.
Level 5 - The optimization Level: This testing level involves various
preventive techniques and uses tool support for improvement of the
testing processes and standards.

8. In the context of software testing, QC examines and modifies the

software development processes. (Ans. = False)

9. The majority of quality control programs are created with _____

satisfaction in mind. (Ans. Customer)

10. In the aerospace industry, Quality Assurance gets replaced with

_____ Assurance. (Ans. = Product)

11. In software development, Quality Control gets replaced by _____.

(Ans. = Software testing)

12. At what stage are the smoke tests performed on the software
product? (Ans. =6)

13. Arrange the steps of QA in software development. (Ans. =

i. Requirement analysis
ii. Testing
iii. Designing tests
iv. Performing tests
v. Rerunning the tests
vi. Releasing the test

14. The procedure implemented in QA in software testing is the SDCA

cycle. (Ans. False)

15. QA services are only limited to manufacturing and services

industries only. (Ans. = False)

16. Customer feedback would only be useful for the organization if it is

_____. (Ans. = Continuous)
17. _____ refers to continuously improving employees' capabilities to
provide consumers with valuable products and services. (Ans. =
Total Quality Management)

18. _____ testing refers to deliberately putting a finished product under

increased vibration, humidity, and temperature conditions. (Ans. =
Stress)

19. _____ refers to the systematic procedure of assessing, scrutinizing,

and evaluating a product or service to determine one or more of its
attributes. (Ans. = Inspection)

20. Which four major aspects are concerned with company quality?
Choose four answers. (Ans. = Competence, organizational culture
& team spirit, Job management and adequate control, &
infrastructure)

21. How many functions are there in QA? (Ans. 5)

22. Arrange the steps for a QA strategy in general industrial practices.

(Ans. = Identifying the organizational goals, Identifying the
success factors, Identification of external and internal customers,
Gaining the customer feedback, Continuous improvement &
Choosing the appropriate quality management software)

23. The CMMI Level 2 is the _____ stage. (Ans. = Repeatable)

24. Which of these activities are part of QC? Choose two answers.
(Ans. = Inspection of the product and Product testing)

25. How many essential components of a QA strategy are there? (Ans.

= 3)

CMMI maturity levels: A guide to optimizing development processes

CMMI maturity levels help organizations establish consistent and reliable
development processes, but you'll have to meet certain requirements outlined in
the CMMI to get there

The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a development model

designed in part with the U.S. Department of Defense to help objectively assess
government contractors’ development processes. It helps measure the maturity of
development processes in a business using a scale of one to five. Processes are
measured against requirements in the CMMI, which helps guide organizations
through each level as they establish formal, measurable and reliable software
development process.

When a business reaches the final stage of CMMI maturity, it is in a state of

constant optimization of established development processes. The CMMI
framework is designed to help organizations reach this level of maturity by
smoothly guiding process development, implementation and maintenance. The
lower levels of CMMI maturity build a strong foundation for maintaining the
highest level of optimization. Every process starts out in the initial phase and
evolves gradually into the final maturity level, using the CMMI as a guide for
best practices.

Here is a rundown of what each CMMI maturity level entails, and how your
organization can achieve them.

1. Initial

CMMI Maturity Level 1 is typically an unstable environment, where an

organization is highly reactive and putting out fires. In this setting, processes are
typically ad hoc and the business is relying on specific individuals to keep things
afloat. Processes are new and often undocumented — and businesses are unable
to reliably repeat processes. This is the starting point for a process your
organization plans to repeat — before you’ve ironed out all the kinks and
established a routine.

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All businesses start at the initial stage when creating a new development process.
Once you’ve repeated — or attempted to repeat — the process, you’ll discover
unexpected roadblocks to address, adjustments to make and metrics to track.
You’ll naturally progress to higher levels through trial and error, as they will help
inform improvements.

2. Managed and repeatable

At Maturity Level 2, an organization’s development processes are repeatable and

produce consistent results. At this stage, all business projects are managed so that
processes are “planned, performed, measured and controlled,” according to
CMMI Institute. At this level, the focus is on the management of requirements,
processes, work products and services. You want to ensure all stakeholders are
established and given ownership over specific tasks.

Processes should be able to withstand a stress test to prove that even when things
in the organization aren’t running smoothly, the processes still produce consistent
and measurable results.

3. Defined

Maturity Level 3 is when your organization has processes that are “well
characterized and understood and are described in standards, procedures, tools
and methods,” according to Tutorials Point. Processes should be well-defined and
documented, and they should be continually improved to some extent over time.
This level brings more organization and standardization to your process by
establishing reliability and efficiency.

4. Quantitatively managed and capable

Maturity Level 4 is reserved for processes that have reached a stage where they
can be measured using defined metrics that demonstrate how the process is
beneficial to business operations.

These processes have been repeatedly tested, refined and adapted in multiple
conditions across the organization. All key stakeholders and process users are
competent in the established process and comfortable deploying it in various
environments. By now, your process should easily adapt to suit other projects in
the organization and to stand as a template for future process development.

5. Optimizing and efficient

The final level of maturity describes processes that are continually monitored and
improved as needed. Your processes should always remain flexible enough to
accommodate new technologies and innovation in the organization. Development
processes aren’t meant to be static and the fifth and final level of maturity isn’t an
end-point. Organizations still need to maintain a constant focus on process
performance to maintain that appraisal level.

Process Appraisals

Your organization’s processes are evaluated by a certified CMMI Lead Appraiser

— either an individual or a team of appraisers who will guide you through the
appraisal process to identify strengths and weaknesses. The Standard CMMI
Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI) includes three methods:
Class A, Class B and Class C.

SCAMPI Class A appraisals are conducted after an organization has implemented

changes and process improvements and feels that it’s time to determine a new
benchmark using the CMMI framework. This type of appraisal offers a maturity
or capability level rating, strengths and weaknesses in your organizational
processes, opinions on key process issues and a way to monitor improvement.

SCAMPI Class B appraisals are done when an organization needs to assess how
close they are to reaching a target CMMI Maturity Level, and it’s less rigorous
than the Class A appraisal. With a Class B appraisal, you’ll get more insight into
process strengths and weaknesses, how likely it is that your process will meet the
CMMI requirements, a critique of key process issues and a way to monitor and
support improvement and future appraisals.

SCAMPI Class C appraisals are designed to be quick and flexible — more so

than Class A or B. The Class B appraisal hits on key needs to quickly assess
whether your organization is ready for the SCAMPI Class A appraisal. It’s also
used to assess a process during development and to monitor process
implementation. The Class C appraisal will give your organization more insight
into how you can improve processes according to CMMI guidelines, a summary
of process adequacy, recommendations for improvement and a database to help
monitor future appraisals and improvements.

More on CMMI:

 What is CMMI? A model for optimizing development processes

 CMMI certifications: A complete guide

 8 top-paying process and project management skills