Activity Network Diagram (AND)
Diagrams, such as the project network diagram, that show the flow of the project work.
Affinity Diagram
A diagram that breaks down ideas, solutions.causes, and project components and groups them together with other similar ideas and components.
Benchmarking
The process of comparing two similar entities to measure their relative performance.
cause and effect diagram
Diagrams that show the relationship between variables within a process and how those relationships may contribute to inadequate quality. The diagrams can help organize both the process and team opinions, as well as generate discussion on finding a solution to ensure quality.
Checklist
A list of important quality issues that is consulted to ensure that work is completed according the quality policy.
Control chart
A quality control chart that maps the performance of project work over time.
Control quality
An inspection-driven process that measures work results to confirm that the project is meeting the relevant quality standards.
Cost of conformance
The cost associated with the monies spent to attain the expected level of quality. It is also known as the cost of quality.
Cost of nonconformance to quality
The cost associated with not satisfying quality expectations. This is also known as the cost of poor quality.
Cost-Benefits Analysis (CBA)
A process to study the trade-offs between costs and the benefits realized from those costs.
Design of Experiments (DOE)
An approach that relies on statistical scenarios to determine what variables within a project will result in the best outcome.
External QA
Quality assurance provided to the external customers of the project.
Flowchart
A diagram illustrating how components within a system are related. Flowcharts show the relation between components, as well as help the project team determine where quality issues may be present and, once done, plan accordingly.
Internal QA
Quality assurance provided to management and the project team.
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization is an independent, nongovernmental international organization that sets standards and specifications for products, services, and systems to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. The ISO is instrumental in facilitating international trade.
Matrix Diagram
A data analysis table that shows the strengths between variables and relationships in a matrix.
Pareto Diagram
A histogram that illustrates and ranks categories of failure within a project.
Quality
According to the American Society for Quality, the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills quality requirements.
Quality assurance
A management process that defines the quality system or quality policy that a project must adhere to. QA aims to plan quality into the project rather than to inspect quality into a deliverable.
Quality Management Plan
A plan that defines how the project team will implement and fulfill the quality policy of the performing organization.
Quality Metrics
The operational definitions that specific the measurements within a project and the expected targets for quality and performance.
Quality Planning
The process of first determining which quality standards are relevant to your project and then finding out the best methods of adhering to those quality standards.
Rule of Seven
A component of a control chart that illustrates the results of seven measurements on one side of the mean, which is considered, "out of control" in the project.
Run Chart
A quality control tool that shows the results of inspection in the order in which they've occurred. The goal of a run chart is first to demonstrate the results of a process over time and then to use trend analysis to predict when certain trends may reemerge.
Scatter Diagram
A quality control tool that tracks the relationship between two variables over time. The two variables are considered related the close they track against a diagonal line.
Seven basic quality tools
Seven tools that are used in quality planning and in quality control: cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, check-sheets, Pareto diagrams, histograms, control charts, and scatter diagrams.
Statistical Sampling
A process of choosing a percentage of results at random. For example, a project creating a medical device may have 20 percent of all units randomly selected to check for quality.
System or process flowcharts
Flowcharts that illustrate the flow of a process through a system, such as a project change request through the change control system, or work authorization through a quality control process.
Tree diagram
A diagram that shows the hierarchies and decomposition of a solution, an organization, or a project team. The WBS and an organizational chart are examples of tree diagrams.
Trend Analysis
The science of using past results to predict future performance.
Work Performance Information
The results of the project work as needed. This includes technical performance measures, project status, information on what the project has created to date, corrective actions, and performance reports.