What is quality management in projects and how to implement it

Quality management in projects is the systematic integration of continuous processes of planning, execution, and control of quality assurance (QA) standards and activities. Its goal is to ensure that each delivery meets quality requirements, minimizes risk, and exceeds stakeholder expectations.

This work depends on the actions of the project manager, who must continuously monitor the quality of the activities being performed. This effort is essential to ensure that your team consistently delivers high-quality products and services. As a reward, your customers will notice this care and trust your brand to deliver transparent, efficient, and quality work. 

Another key part of this process is to define the QA measures necessary to meet the defined standards. They will ensure that your team continues to improve its work processes and become more efficient in its operations. 

Read on to learn all about project quality management, including the best tools and how to make your own management plan!

What is project quality management? 

Project quality management encompasses the organization’s processes and activities that define quality policies, establish objectives, and assign responsibilities, ensuring that the project meets the needs for which it was initiated.

Project quality management is a discipline that permeates all phases of the lifecycle, ensuring that every deliverable – whether it’s a product, service, or outcome – meets defined requirements and exceeds stakeholder expectations.

The 3 processes of quality management 

To ensure that quality management is done properly, three main processes guide this activity. By following them, it is possible to have greater predictability and effectiveness in quality management. 

They are:

1. Quality planning

• Definition of standards and criteria: Identifies standards, policies, and customer requirements that should guide deliverables. 

• Preparation of the quality management plan: It is a document that establishes roles, responsibilities, and verification methods, including metrics, audits, and corrective action flows. 

• Tools: Prioritization of QFD (Quality Function Deployment) matrix, benchmarking, and cost-benefit analysis. 

2. Quality assurance

• Process audits and reviews: Verifies that the working methods follow the quality management plan and established best practices. 

• Failure analysis and lessons learned: Identifies root causes of non-conformities and promotes adjustments to processes to avoid repetitions. 

• Tools: Cause and Effect Diagram (Ishikawa), 5 Whys, Process Flowcharts, among others. 

3. Quality control

• Inspections and tests in deliveries: Evaluates the products resulting from the activities, comparing them with the previously defined acceptance criteria. 

• Recording and handling of non-conformities: Documents deviations, triggers the change committee, and implements corrective and preventive actions.

• Tools: Control charts, histograms, scatter plots.

The 4 pillars of quality management in projects 

In addition to these processes, quality management in projects is based on four fundamental pillars that guide all activities. 

1. Customer focus: Understanding and translating needs into quality requirements. 
2. Continuous improvement: Apply the PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) cycle to refine processes and products. 
3. People engagement: Form multidisciplinary teams responsible for ensuring quality in all activities and areas. 
4. Data-driven decision-making: Utilize metrics and performance indicators to guide adjustments and optimizations. 

The benefits of quality management in projects

By managing and prioritizing the quality of your projects, you will contribute to having better quality products, higher productivity, and more satisfied customers. All of this is essential to stand out in increasingly competitive and discerning markets.

Check out the main benefits of good quality management in projects below:

• Higher Quality Products: With good project management, your team will go through multiple iterations in the design of your products. By going through various development processes, you will ensure that the final product meets customer expectations.
• Increased Productivity: You have the chance to reflect on the outcome of a project based on the quality of your planning, procedures, and progress. With good quality management, you create stronger relationships among team members, as well as improve communication and internal processes.
• More Satisfied Customers: It is no secret that delivering low-quality products or services is bad for any company’s image. If your deliverable does not reach the desired quality level, the result will be dissatisfied customers.
• More United Teams: By using the right quality management tools, you encourage collaboration between different teams. This avoids the creation of silos and facilitates the tracking of team progress—allowing you to use meetings to discuss feedback from one department to another.
• Financial Savings: Good quality management in projects allows you to control your budget and avoid spending more than necessary. Use processes such as planning, quality assurance, and quality control to address problems before their solution becomes too costly.

Quality management tools

When it comes to taking care of the quality of your projects, many managers resort to spreadsheets and diagrams. There are six main types of charts and tables for this purpose. Let’s talk a little about each of them below.

Matrix diagram

We start with a method used to analyze data within an organization’s structure. The matrix diagram shows the relationships between objectives, factors, and causes within a project.

You can choose from multiple types of matrices, depending on the number of items and groups you want to analyze. Here are some examples:

• L-shaped Matrix: Used when there are two items.
• T-shaped Matrix: To analyze the relationship between three groups of items.
• Y-shaped Matrix: Creates the relationship between three groups of items, but in a circular diagram.
• C-shaped Matrix: Ideal for when you want to evaluate three groups of items with a 3D display.
• X-shaped Matrix: For a relationship between four groups of items.

Project network diagram

This option allows the person responsible for project management to map the tasks and deliverables within it. This helps to understand the activities needed to complete each stage, facilitating quality assurance at the end of the project.

Here, a visual representation of the activity schedule is used, allowing you to plan its execution from start to finish. To achieve this goal, you must illustrate the scope and critical path of your project.

It is usually done in the form of an arrow diagram or a precedence diagram.

Affinity diagrams

A type of diagram designed to help teams group ideas, information, and data about the deliverables and the product of your project. This helps the involved teams better understand the quality requirements that must be observed.

In the end, its goal is to generate, organize, and consolidate information about products, processes, problems, or complex issues. A good use for an affinity diagram is during a brainstorming session, where you want to express ideas without quantifying them.

Process decision program charts

These are used to identify what could go wrong in a plan. They help teams avoid problems and conceive countermeasures in case there is a failure in the Quality Assurance procedures.

In this way, you can map the steps needed to complete a process and analyze the impact caused.

Interrelationship diagrams

They help the person responsible for quality management in the project understand the different cause-and-effect relationships between factors that affect the deliverables.

This way, it is possible to know what positively or negatively affected the quality of a particular product or service.

Prioritization matrices

Most effective during brainstorming sessions, prioritization matrices allow you to evaluate problems based on predetermined criteria. This technique enables you to create a list of items from highest to lowest priority.

This helps the quality manager of that project identify which problems may arise and determine which issue should be addressed with the highest priority.

Consider using quality management software

All the tools above are suitable for basic quality management of a project, but they cannot reach the depth or flexibility of specific software for this purpose.

With the SoftExpert EQM, you modernize your quality management system, reduce the effort needed to maintain compliance, and drive continuous improvement across your organization.

With the SoftExpert Project module, you can easily manage and automate project requests related to products and services. All this through a complete set of features that will simplify the best project management practices.

How to implement quality management in projects

We are talking about a process that ensures the quality of deliveries and meets the needs of the client and project stakeholders. To achieve this goal, the processes must meet the product or service requirements.

It is also important to keep an eye on other aspects of the project. To have a greater chance of success, it is not enough to meet standards and specifications. Good communication and meeting deadlines are essential.

Another crucial thing is the prevention of errors and defects. This reduces costs and increases predictability. Continuous improvement of products and processes is equally relevant to project quality.

The PMBOK guide, from the Project Management Institute (PMI), defines processes for managing quality in projects.

1. Do detailed planning

Record the quality requirements and standards that the project and its deliveries must meet. Also, document how it will be demonstrated that the quality level has been achieved.

Record the compliance of requirements and identify the people or functions responsible for verification. This process guides and directs quality management and verification.

Establish how quality requirements will be included in the project and product documentation. The way of measuring quality should be adjusted according to the specifics of what is being produced.

To facilitate inspections and audits, clear criteria must be defined. At this stage, the Quality Management Plan should be created, which will be part of the Project Management Plan. According to PMBOK, it may include:

• Project quality standards;
• Quality objectives;
• Roles and responsibilities in quality;
• Deliverables and processes are subject to quality review;
• Quality control and management activities;
• Quality tools to be used;
• Procedures for dealing with non-conformities, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.

2. Ensure processes are executed correctly

Quality management in projects ensures the effective execution of processes. This involves meeting the planned standards and objectives, ensuring that the deliveries meet the needs and requirements of stakeholders.

Here, quality management encompasses product design and process improvements. This stage contributes to the production of better products, increasing confidence that future deliveries will meet requirements and expectations.

Quality assurance tools, such as audits and failure analysis, offer several benefits. They allow verifying the effectiveness of processes and whether the deliveries reach the desired quality level.

The responsibility for quality management lies with everyone involved, including sponsors and clients. The good execution of this stage improves processes, resulting in better outcomes and greater satisfaction of those involved.

This process generates quality reports that record the results of tests and audits.

3. Monitor and record activities

Quality control in projects involves monitoring and recording quality management activities to verify if the established standards are being met. During this process, quality levels are measured to determine if they are acceptable.

Detected problems should be corrected quickly, which may include project change requests that follow an approval and decision flow. The goal of quality control is to verify the consistency, compliance, and adequacy of the product or service, documenting the performance of activities. This helps in the acceptance of the delivery by the client.

Quality control should be continuous throughout the project, not left only at the end. Recording evidence and controls throughout the project cycle demonstrates how quality was achieved, resulting from meeting specifications and standards.

The levels of requirement and effort to control quality vary according to the type of product or service and the sector. Projects in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and nuclear require high levels of control.

By improving project quality, you reduce development and delivery costs. This attracts more customers and promotes the development of new products and services. Therefore, managing project quality is crucial for the growth and sustainability of organizations.

Keep reading – Hybrid project management: greater effectiveness and quality for your management

Conclusion

Quality management in projects is not just a step in the process but a philosophy that permeates all involved activities. With appropriate tools, well-defined practices, and a collaborative approach, quality management enables efficiency, consistency, and continuous improvement. These efforts not only result in superior products and services but also strengthen your brand’s reputation in the market and create stronger relationships with customers.

Adopting the methodologies described in this article and investing in technologies like those offered by SoftExpert can be the differentiator that puts your company ahead of the competition. Remember that quality is not an isolated goal but an essential component for sustainable success in an increasingly demanding business environment.

Now that you have all the necessary information, it’s time to implement a quality management plan in your projects and reap the benefits of well-done and well-planned work!

Looking for more efficiency and compliance in your operations? Our experts can help identify the best strategies for your company with SoftExpert solutions. Contact us today!

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