When you’re managing a project, we often overlook one of the most important concerns and it is sometimes forgotten, which is project quality. This is something that a budget or even the best PMO software can’t give you, this is why project management is of utmost importance. Though some may see quality as perfection, it should be more about ensuring the consistency of quality throughout each project. However, the definition of quality is beholden by what the stakeholders or consumers need from the project, this could differ per project. This could sometimes mean going beyond time and cost. Making sure your project continues to meet the original needs should be your main objective. Nothing more and nothing less. In other words, meeting the needs of the stakeholders should remain a top priority. Quality is not about giving the customer extras or completing work beyond expectation, it is simply what the stakeholder needs from the project deliverables. Requirements are determined at the beginning of each project, these requirements become the foundation for the work of the project. Let’s have a look at what a quality management plan entails.
Plan quality
Planning is the first step for a reason; it’s how you determine where most of your efforts and time will be needed. Start by identifying the requirements for the quality of the deliverables to be managed. Start by documenting and planning the process and how the information will be delivered. Your plan should include metrics for measuring the quality while managing the project. Creating a checklist will help you hit your set marks to ensure that you maintain consistent quality. Ensure your quality management plan is clearly shared with all stakeholders.
Quality assurance
Quality assurance is the planned activities being implemented so that the quality of the product or services is fulfilled. We use this step to ensure that all processes are in fact working towards meeting the quality requirements of the project. Auditing your projects or using a checklist is normally the best way to do so. When standards drop or are not met, the necessary steps should be taken to fix the issues. Thus controlling the quality of your deliverables. This involves auditing your quality requirements and quality control results to ensure all of the appropriate quality standards are used.
Quality control
It’s essential to check the quality of all deliverables during the project management process, this creates the opportunity to adjust the deliverables if they’re not living up to the standards that have been set. This process needs an “enforcer”, someone to speak up when quality issues arise. This is normally done at the end of a project but is more efficient when being implemented during your adjustment phase.
No matter the size of your project, quality management is always an important factor. Ensuring quality is of utmost importance to us, and our consultants have years of experience to ensure it stays that way. Get in touch with us via our contact form, we have the right tools to help.
