The Key Differences Between QA and QC
When it comes to software development and manufacturing, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are two crucial processes that ensure that the end product is of high quality and meets the required standards. Although QA and QC are related to each other, these two terms are not the same.
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality assurance is the process of defining and implementing the standards and procedures that ensure that the end product meets the desired quality standards. In other words, QA focuses on preventing defects in products, services, or processes by identifying the procedural problems before they occur.
The QA process includes activities such as:
- Setting quality standards and guidelines
- Conducting regular inspections and audits
- Testing products to ensure they meet the stipulated requirements and standards
- Identifying process bottlenecks and fixing them
What is Quality Control?
Quality control, on the other hand, is the process of verifying that the final product or service meets the defined quality standards. In contrast to QA, QC aims to identify defects after they’ve occurred so that they can be fixed before the final product is released.
The QC process includes activities such as:
- Performing random inspections and tests on production samples
- Identifying defects, reporting them, and working with the production team to correct them
- Verifying that the final product meets the agreed-upon specifications
- Maintaining records of production and inspection information to help improve the process in the future
The Main Differences Between QA and QC
The key differences between quality assurance and quality control are as follows:
- QA focuses on preventing defects in the production process, while QC focuses on identifying defects before the product reaches the customer.
- QA is pro-active, while QC is reactive.
- QA focuses on the process and procedures, while QC focuses on the product or service.
- QA is concerned with continuous improvement, while QC is concerned with verifying and correcting.
Conclusion
Both quality assurance and quality control are essential processes in any manufacturing or software development project. They go hand in hand to ensure that the end product meets the desired quality standards. While QA focuses on preventing defects in the process, QC is aimed at detecting them and correcting them. By understanding the differences between the two processes, project managers can allocate the necessary resources to ensure that their products are of high quality and meet the desired standards.
Table difference between qa and qc
| QA | QC |
|---|---|
| Quality Assurance | Quality Control |
| Preventive process | Corrective process |
| Implemented in planning phase | Implemented in execution phase |
| Objective is to avoid defects | Objective is to detect defects |
| Focuses on improving process | Focuses on improving product |
| Performed by independent team | Performed by test team or developer |