5.

Quality Assurance Department

and Quality Control Responsibilities
of the Line Organization.

1.Quality Assurance
Department.
2.Quality Control
Responsibilities of the Line
Organization.

1
 5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• ‘Quality is the totality of all attributes and
characteristics of a product or service as
specified, required and expected’.
• ISO 8402-1986 defines quality
assurance as “all those planned or
systematic actions necessary to provide
adequate confidence that a product or
service will satisfy given requirements
for quality”.

2
 5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Objectives of Quality Assurance
1. ”Right first time" (mistakes should be
eliminated).
2. "Fit for purpose" (product should be
suitable for the intended purpose).
• Quality assurance (QA) aims to prevent
defects.
• QA emphasizes prevention rather than
cure so that the job is done correctly,
the very first time and every time.
3
 5.1 Quality Assurance Department

• Most organizations today view

quality more as a process
rather than a product.
• QA satisfies the needs of
customers.
• QA is one of the aspects of
quality management system.

4
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• “Quality management system is
quality assurance”(ISO
9001:2008).
• Management plays a vital role
in creating quality assurance
through its commitment to
quality.

5
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Management can create
quality assurance by adopting
quality policy, and establishing
quality management systems
and quality specifications.
• Communication is an essential
element of quality awareness.

6
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Proper communication and
quality trainings helps to
assure quality.
• Management must arrange
regular meetings with
employees to resolve
nonconformance problems.

7
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Management should
encourage employees to share
their ideas related to quality
issues and their causes.
• F.W. Taylor’s scientific
management gave emphasis
on productivity, which had
negative effect on quality.
8
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• To assure quality, factories
created central inspection
department.
• In due course, central
inspection departments grew
into “quality control”, “quality
assurance” department etc.

9
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Activity of quality department
promote widespread belief that
achievement of quality is the
responsibility of quality
department.
• Failure prone products, and
incapable process continued to
generate high costs of poor
quality.
10
 5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Quality department separated
good products from the bad.
• For defective product which
escaped to customer,
compensation has to be
provided for a wrong through
customer service based on
warranties.
11
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Growing number of quality
specialists developed various
new methods and tools to
manage quality.
• Many quality assurance activities
provide protection against quality
problems through early warnings
of trouble ahead.

12
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Such early warnings play important
role in prevention of both internal
and external quality problems.
• QA is attained through direct
sensory examination of product,
e.g. freshness of cement; shape
and color of bricks; shape, size
and color of course aggregate;
course or fineness of sand; etc.

13
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Sensory evidence must usually
be supplemented by laboratory
testing.
• Assurance comes from evidence
of set of facts.
• Evidence of facts occur from
inspection or testing for simple
products.

14
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• For complex products, evidence
is not only inspections and test
but also review of execution of
plans and audits.
• Quality control includes methods
and procedures for testing and
maintaining desired level of
quality.

15
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Quality assurance differs from
quality control.
• Quality assurance set up
standards and procedures to
assure achievement of quality.
• Quality assurance is important in
construction because of risk in
construction project.

16
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Contractor’s quality assurance is
essential in preventing problems
and recurrence of problems.
• Built-in quality assurance system
should be developed to prevent
poor quality of works.
• Systematic quality work reduces
cost of failure in one’s own work.

17
5.1 Quality Assurance Department

• ISO 9000 standard has been

adopted by large number of
industries around the world.
ISO 9000 deals with
• Quality management system
• Inspection and test.
• Control of non-conformance.
18
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• ISO 9000 provide quality
management system standard
applicable to broad range of
industries.
• Acceptance of ISO 9000
standard in construction
industries is not as wide as in
manufacturing industries.
19
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• QA was most important company-
wide quality control activity in
Japanese companies.
• In evolution of assurance
methods, early practice of 100%
inspection gave way to process
improvements to avoid
manufacture of defective goods
and products.
20
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Takenaka Komuten, a Japanese
construction company, made
extensive process improvements
and succeeded in greatly
reducing defects such as cracks
in concrete or water leaks.
• QA is similar to concept of
financial audit, which provides
assurance of financial integrity.
21
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Quality should be managed by
use of three managerial
processes of quality planning,
quality control, and quality
improvement.
• Contractor’s in-house quality
assurance system is of utmost
importance as it prevents
problem and recurrence of error.
22
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Internal quality system of an
organization, can contribute
improvements in workmanship
and efficiency, decrease in
wastage, and increase in profits.
• External quality system covers
activities inspiring confidence to
satisfy client’s quality
requirements.
23
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
• Quality management system can
work effectively only when top
management takes full
responsibility for the
implementation of QA program.
• ISO 9001:2008 spells out that
“quality management system is
quality assurance”.

24
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Some features in construction limit
implementation of ISO 9000 (Phenol
1994)
1. Construction project is usually
unique.
2. Performance testing in
construction is generally not
feasible as a basis for acceptance.

25
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Some features in construction limit
implementation of ISO 9000
(Phenol 1994)
3. It is common to have separate
contracts for design and
construction.
4. It is not feasible to reject whole
constructed project after
completion.
26
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Some features in construction limit
implementation of ISO 9000
(Phenol 1994)
5. Rejection of defective constructed
part need prompt decisions
before construction of succeeding
part.
6. Efforts of all parties require to
achieve quality in construction.
27
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Some features in construction limit
implementation of ISO 9000
(Phenol 1994)
7. Organizational structure of
construction company varies
depending on nature of project,
whereas organizational structure
of manufacturing company is
almost unchanging.

28
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Some features in construction limit
implementation of ISO 9000 (Phenol
1994)
8. Turnover of manpower in
construction is higher than in
manufacturing.
9. Construction projects are very
complicated and their execution
may take years.
29
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Functions of QA Department
1. Company-wide planning.
2. Producing executive reports on
quality.
3. Auditing outgoing quality.
4. Auditing quality practices.
5. Training for quality.
6. Consulting for quality.
30
5.1 Quality Assurance Department
Functions of QA department
7. Coordinating and assisting with
improvement projects.
8. Developing new quality methodology.
9. Transferring activities to line
departments.
• Preventing mistakes is much more
time and cost-effective than correcting
mistakes.
31
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
Quality control responsibilities of
line organization focus on
a. Zero defects.
b. Identify and solve problems before
customer does.
c. Establish true quality control by
making quality “built in” and not
“inspected in”.

32
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
• Quality control responsibility of
line organization is concerned
with many quality-related
activities such as quality
planning, quality control,
quality improvement, quality
audit, and reliability.

33
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
Quality Control Responsibility
of Line Organization include:
1. Design Engineer.
2. Purchasing Unit.
3. Manufacturing Personnel.
4. Quality Assurance Department.

34
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
Quality Control Responsibility of
Line Organization include:
5. Quality Planning.
6. Quality Control.
7. Quality Improvement.
8. Quality Audit.
9. Reliability.
35
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
1. Design Engineer
• Design engineer is responsible for
producing quality design that will
meet need of users.
• Design engineer has responsibility to
assure that design of product can be
manufactured with equipment
available in manufacturing unit.

36
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
2.Purchasing Unit
• Purchasing unit has
responsibility to make sure
that raw materials, parts, or
services meet all quality
requirements and schedule.

37
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
3. Manufacturing Personnel
• Manufacturing personnel have
responsibility to make products
meeting quality requirements and
specifications.
• Manufacturing personnel have to
check each step of work to
determine that his/her own work has
been done properly.
38
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
4. Quality Assurance
Department
• Quality assurance
department has
responsibilities of quality
assurance of goods,
products, or services.

39
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
5. Quality Planning
• Quality planning is basic process
in managing quality.
• Quality planning is process of
establishing quality objectives
and developing plans to meet
these objectives.

40
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
5. Quality Planning
• Quality planning can be
departmental, companywide, or
international which may be intended
for breakthrough in achieving
quality assurance.
• Quality planning develops process
to meet customers’ needs.

41
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
6. Quality Control
• Quality control measures actual
quality performance, compares
actual performance with
established standard and acts if
actual quality performance is
different from established
standard.
42
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
6. Quality Control
Steps of Quality Control
i. Evaluate actual quality
performance.
ii. Compare actual performance to
quality goals.
iii.Act on the difference.
43
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
7.Quality Improvement
QI aims to raise quality better
than past level.
• Establish infrastructure.
• Identify improvement projects.
• Establish project teams.

44
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
7. Quality Improvement
QI aims to raise quality better than past
level.
• Provide resources, training, motivations
to project team.
• Diagnose cause.
• Stimulate remedies.
• Establish controls to hold gains.

45
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
7. Quality Improvement
QI reduce costs that include
• Organize to guide projects.
• Diagnose to find causes.
• Provide remedies.
• Prove that remedies are effective
under operating conditions.

46
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
• Quality audit is necessary to
maintain continuous
improvement in team
performance and product quality.
• Objective of quality audit is to
identify measures that can
improve performance of project.
47
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
Scope of Quality Audit
• To check implementation of
quality system element.
• To review process and sequence
of operation.
• To verify goods and works to
established standard.
48
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
• Audit implementation involves
collection, analysis, and
evaluation of factual information
and drawing of conclusions from
these facts.
• Independent audit provides
unbiased picture of performance.
49
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
• Quality audit is systematic,
independent examination and
evaluation to determine whether
quality activities and results
comply with planned standards.
• Whether planned standards are
implemented effectively and are
suitable for achieving objectives.
50
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
Purpose of Quality Audit is to provide
assurance:
• Whether procedures are adequate
and are being followed.
• If quality plans and procedures are
followed, intended quality will be
attained so that products are fit for
use and safe for user.
51
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
• Standards and regulations
defined by government
agencies, industry associations,
and professional societies are
being followed.
• There is conformance to
specifications.
52
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
8. Quality Audit
• Quality audits may be scheduled
and carried out by properly
trained in house auditors or by
registered third parties.
• Opportunities for improvement
are identified and appropriate
personnel are alerted.
53
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
9. Reliability
• “Reliability” expresses degree of
confidence that system will
successfully function during
specified period of time.
• Reliability is probability that item will
perform required function under
stated conditions for stated period of
time.
54
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
9. Reliability
• From time immemorial, it was
understood that product should
have long service life, and during
this life, product should give
service with few failures.
• Beneficiaries are concerned with
length of time that public project
will function without failure.
55
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
9. Reliability
• Architects and engineers have
tried to design structures and
products for long life.
• Reliability should not be confused
with conformance to
specifications as evidenced by
test of conformance.
56
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
9. Reliability
• Reliability can be improved
during design phase by the
designer.
• Reliability require increased
emphasis on research and
development of quality
technology and tools.
57
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
• Focus of Quality Department is
coordination for control.
Responsibilities of Quality
Department requires two efforts
i. Coordination for control.
ii. Coordination for creating
change.
58
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
• Coordination for creating change
often involves quality council and
quality project teams.
• Quality system is the collective
responsibility to ensure that
product, material, process or
service will meet quality standards
and customer’s satisfaction.

59
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
• If customer’s satisfaction is not
achieved, system is not complete.
• Quality and reliability standards do
not just happen.
• Achieving good quality through
successful quality system requires
commitment and investment by
top management.
60
5.2 Quality Control Responsibilities

of Line Organization
• Group of upper managers (also
called quality council) develop
quality strategy, guide and
support in implementing quality
strategy.
• Middle management executes
quality strategy through variety
of roles.
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Difference in Responsibilities
of QA/QC Departments
Q/C Department Q/A Department
Process by which Systematic activities
quality is provide confidence
compared with that requirements are
applicable established.
standards.
Activity verifies Activity establishes
product meets and evaluates
pre-established processes.
standard.
62
Difference in Responsibilities
of QA/QC Departments
Q/C Department Q/A Department

Implements the Helps to establish

process. process.

Verifies specific Sets up programs

attributes of an to evaluate
activity. process.

63
 Difference in Responsibilities
of QA/QC Departments
Q/C Department Q/A Department

Identifies defects for Identifies weakness

correcting the in process and
defects. improves them.
Evaluates for the Evaluates for the
purpose of purpose of
determining
determining defect.
weakness in the
process.
64
Difference in Responsibilities
of QA/QC Departments
Q/C Department Q/A Department
Detects, reports and Prevents the defect.
corrects defect.
Improves an item. Improves the process.
QC personnel may QA personnel should
perform quality not perform quality
assurance tasks if and control unless doing it
when required. to validate quality
control is working.

65
5. Quality Assurance
Department and Quality
Control Responsibilities of
the Line Organization

End of Chapter 5

66