Quality control definition

In this article, we are going to discuss the definition of quality control. Although quality control is not limited to its definition, it is much more than that. So, we will discuss the importance of quality control, quality control methods, benefits, and some FAQs. Hope this article will be helpful to you and will provide you a basic understanding of Quality Control.

Now, let’s start the topic.

What is Quality Control?

Quality is said to be the performance of the product as per the commitments. Quality control is the process of setting standards and tests to ensure that a product or service is correctly done. Most organizations have a particular Quality Control or Quality Assurance department that provides the set of standards required to be followed for each product.

Quality control relies on product testing as checking a product gives an accurate picture of the end product quality.

In software engineering, Quality Control is the sequence of steps that helps identify the defects to ensure the software’s quality and the correction of defects in the developed software. The main purpose of quality control is to correct all types of defects before releasing the software. Quality control is done by eliminating the problems (that are caused by the reduction of quality) by using the corrective tools to ensure the software is meeting the customer’s requirements. In the IT industry, the testing team has the responsibility of quality control. This team is responsible for testing the defects of software by validation and corrective tools.

Quality Control is similar to Quality Assurance, but it is not identical to Quality Assurance.

If we say any product is a Quality product, it means that the product satisfies particular criteria for its functioning. A product is said to be a quality product if it satisfies the mentioned criteria not only at the manufacturing time but also over a reasonable length of time.

Benefits of Quality Control

The benefits of quality control are shown in the below image –

Customers always require high-quality products. The benefits of quality control are listed as follows:

• Implementation of Quality Control ensures that the selling product is best for customers.
• Standards of Quality Control help to lower the inspection costs and use the resources in a cost-effective manner.
• Quality Control helps the manufacturers or entrepreneurs to fix the responsibility of workers in the production process.
• Quality control helps to increase sales as testing the product’s quality makes it brand product and builds up goodwill or image that ultimately increases sales.
• Quality control helps the entrepreneurs to know the cost of their products in advance that helps to determine the competitive price of the product.
• Quality control also helps the entrepreneurs to confirm whether the manufactured product is matching the standards set by the government. If the product is not matching the standards, then Quality control facilitates the entrepreneur to take necessary actions to comply with the standards.

Some other basic benefits of Quality control are listed as follows –

• Quality control increases customer loyalty.
• It improves safety.
• It helps to reduce the liability risks.
• It maintains or improves the position of the brand in the market.
• Quality control helps us to increase new customers from the referrals of our regular customers.
• Overall, Quality control contributes to the positive branding of the product.

Methods of Quality Control

Here, we are discussing the Quality Control of a product in an organization. There are multiple methods to control the performance of a product. The methods of Quality control are discussed as follows:

1. Inspection

It is the common method of quality control purposes that are used in production as well as in services.

There are three important aspects of inspection –

1. Product Inspection
2. Process inspection
3. Inspection Analysis

Let’s discuss these aspects.

i) Product Inspection

It is related to the final product that is ready to send into the market. Its main purpose is to ensure whether the products that are ready to send are meeting the set of quality standards. It ensures that the ready product is perfect and free from defects.

ii) Process Inspection

It is used to ensure that the raw material, equipment, and machines used in the production are of prescribed quality. In short, it ensures the quality of raw materials, machines, and equipment used for making the product. It is beneficial to do process inspection as it saves the wastage of material by preventing the process bottlenecks and also ensures the manufacturing of the quality product.

iii) Inspection Analysis

This analysis helps the entrepreneurs to locate the points in the manufacturing process where the faults lie. It allows the entrepreneurs to identify the points at which deviations from the standard set start.

Now, let’s discuss another method of Quality Control.

Statistical Quality Control

It is an advanced method that is based on statistical techniques to control the product’s quality. This method is divided into three parts that are mentioned as follows:

1. Analysis of samples
2. Use of Control Charts
3. Corrective measures

Let’s discuss the above parts.

i) Analysis of samples

It is based on sampling techniques. Let us understand it via an example. Suppose we have to analyze the quality of a set of products. It is important to note that we do not have to analyze all of the units; we can analyze and study some units that are the ‘sample units’. The result drawn from these sample units will be generalized as a whole. In short, we can say that the inspection of sample units means statistical inspection of the entire manufactured units.

ii) Use of control charts

The results obtained from the analysis of samples are represented with the help of charts. The method of drawing the chart is listed as follows:

• First, measure the quality characteristics of the selected sample.
• Now, find the mean of the sample and also measure the range of dispersion.
• Then, the data of dispersion and mean collected.
• At last, take graph paper and plot the collected data on it.

iii) Corrective measures

By drawing the quality chart, it is easy for an entrepreneur to locate the deviation points and their causes. This allows the entrepreneur to evolve the corrective measures in order to control the product’s quality.

Now, let’s see some of the frequently asked questions (or FAQs) related to quality control.

FAQs

Here, we are discussing some of the questions asked generally related to Quality control.

Question1 – What is Quality Control?

Answer1- As mentioned in the article, Quality control is the process of setting standards and tests to ensure that a product or service is correctly done.

Question2 – What is the importance of Quality Control?

Answer2- Quality Control is important because it ensures that no defective goods go out to the public. Quality control increases customer loyalty. It maintains or improves the position of the brand in the market, and it also helps to increase the number of new customers from the referrals of regular customers. It is important because it contributes to the positive branding of the product.

Question3 – What is the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control?

Answer3- Commonly, people asked the difference between Quality assurance and Quality control. So let’s separately discuss both terms in brief.

Quality Assurance – It is a group of activities that ensures the quality of the product that is used during the development of the product. It is process-oriented. QA is a proactive process. It concerns improving development so; defects do not arise in the testing period.

Quality Control – Quality Control is a group of activities to detect the defects in the developed product. It is product-oriented. QC is a reactive process because it concerns identifying defects after the development of the product and before its release.

So, in this article, we have discussed about Quality Control along with its importance and methods. We have also discussed some FAQs in which we have given a brief description of the difference between both Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

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