How do you prevent Quality Assurance failures that harm your company or customers?

Criteria of quality needs to be defined for all directions of SDLC - Left, right, up, deep. We need to start right at the inception state and ensure that everyone from BA to Dev to QA understands the quality of their deliverables and feels accountable for the same.

Think of starting a project like setting sail on a journey – you need a map. Before diving in, figure out what "quality" means for your project. Quality criteria are like the rules that you and your customers agree upon to judge how good your work is. Keep it SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This way, everyone knows what to expect, your team stays on the same page, and you steer clear of surprises or mix-ups along the way. Smooth sailing ahead!

Firstly I want to tell their is no such Quality Assurance failure in product as well as service industry. Because when a company manufactured a product that goes to various quality check.. It happens some of the company for short term profit gain they do unethical practice some time in raw material or some time in process that could be one of the reason of Quality Assurance failure any company who follow proper ISO standard they can never fail to compute quality, ISO standard is well enough to maintain the system. Second never make false promises to consumer by any sort of communication ,FMEA could be important to find CTQ and to control.To keep success in Quality Assurance.

I my view, to prevent quality assurance failures, a company should implement robust processes. This includes thorough product testing, audits, and strict adherence to industry standards. Continuous employee training and open communication channels help maintain a culture of quality consciousness. Feedback loops and customer input are invaluable for identifying and rectifying issues promptly. Implementing quality management systems like ISO standards can provide a structured framework. Additionally, investing in advanced technology and automation tools can streamline processes and minimize human error. Finally, fostering a quality-centric mindset among employees fosters a culture of accountability for company and customer satisfaction.

Focus on all quality assurance processes , training and coaching apply a controlled standard procedure system. These are helpful to prevent the failure of QA system.

Actually I wish to disagree with notion that there are quality failures . In reality those are Product/ Process/Service defects . when we define specification of product/ Service if we follow principle of SMART we will see less defects and those could be attributed process variation . If we have proper process control and monitoring in place , identifying root cause and elimination would lot faster than SLA agreed to customer . Quality assurance is all about establishing system to ensure possibility of defect/deviation is identified and eliminated before Customer find them.

Now that you've got your quality criteria, think of planning and implementing QA activities like making sure your cake tastes as good as it looks. QA activities are like the steps you take to check and make things better – testing, reviews, inspections, and more. Plan these tasks based on your project schedule, budget, and resources, and write it all down in a QA plan. Like a recipe, you also assign roles to your baking team (project team) and tell them exactly what to do. This way, everyone knows their part, and you end up with a delicious, top-quality cake (project outcome)!

For starters, a strong definition of all the key parameters/specifications of the final product without any space for ambiguity always helps. Second, limiting responsibility for the success of a quality system only to the QA/QC Team can result in failures, hence, Collaboration and on-time communication to all stakeholders can help identify failures proactively and ease change management, enabling a risk based approach. Third, a strong performance tracking mechanism from day 1 of implementation can help with course correction of weaker areas.

Specification limits set clear boundaries for product quality, ensuring consistency and reducing defects that lead to customer complaints.

Based on my over 35 years in QA allover Asia I just can say and testify that if the following are effectively in place and constantly monitored there is no room for failure: 1. Installation of qualified & seasoned and well trained QA staff. 2. Proper QA procedures in Materials and Accessories. 3. Extensive QA & Technical team collaboration on product fit, construction and specs. 4. Pilot run and Risk Analysis. 5. Pre production meetings with sealed approved sample. 6. Cutting QA process. 7. All-round QA inline inspections in all sewing stages. 8. 100% Endline inspections 9. interim inspections. 10. Packing prototype Pressing, folding, tag and tickets position. 11. Packing Random inspection 12. Inhouse Final Inspection.

Think of the project execution phase like keeping a close eye on your cake in the oven. Monitoring and controlling quality means checking, analyzing, and telling everyone how things are going. Use metrics and tools that match your quality rules. It's like using a timer and thermometer to make sure your cake is just right. If there's a hiccup, tools like defect logs or root cause analysis help figure out what went wrong. Keep everyone updated on how things are shaping up – it's like sharing the oven's temperature and baking progress with your team and taste-testers (stakeholders)!

Root cause analysis is an effective measure to improve the quality of the entire ecosystem. Continuous tracking of action items identified using RCA is crucial and if you see the same problem again and again while doing causal analysis, it means we need to change the approach and some strategy is not working. So RCA with continuous tracking of improvement trends is the most important aspect for quality.

Although any type of measurement and control might be negatively perceived by QA members, some indicators besides subjective measurement need to be considered to get an idea on how well is QA team doing. Measurement are used to discover if there is a problem in the process but that does not necessarily mean that it is a QA fault. Any kind of measurement needs to be carefully analyzed before jumping to an early conclusions. QAs, are most dependent on the other team members, whether it be a Product Owner or Developer for some input. Due to that dependency, efficiency and actual output produced by QA does not only depend on them alone.

Once your project is done, it's like tasting the cake to see how it turned out. QA feedback is like getting reviews from your customers and team. Listen closely to what they say about your work – what went well and what could be better. This feedback helps you figure out what you're great at and where you can improve. It's like noting down the secret ingredients that made your cake a hit or the tweaks needed for an even better recipe next time. Learning from these lessons makes sure your future projects are even more delicious!

Imagine your workplace is like a kitchen where everyone cooks up quality. Fostering a quality culture is about making sure everyone believes in and lives by the same high standards. It's like having a recipe that everyone follows to make sure every dish turns out amazing. To do this, set clear quality goals, give the team the right tools and training, and celebrate when someone cooks up something exceptional. It's all about making quality a team effort, encouraging everyone to share tips, and keeping the kitchen (workplace) buzzing with collaboration. Quality becomes not just a rule but a way of life!

It is important to understand that quality assurance is not just a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that should be embedded into all aspects of the company's operations. By continuously monitoring and improving the quality assurance process, companies can ensure that they are delivering high-quality products and services to their customers. Use a risk-based approach to quality assurance.?Focus your QA efforts on the areas where there is the highest risk of quality failures. Use continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices.?CI/CD practices help to ensure that quality is built into the product development process.

Establish a clear quality culture.?This means that everyone in the company should understand the importance of quality and be committed to delivering high-quality products or services. This can be achieved through training, communication, and recognition of QA achievements. Define clear quality standards.?What does it mean for a product or service to be of high quality? Once you have defined your quality standards, make sure they are communicated to everyone involved in the development and delivery of your products or services. Implement a comprehensive QA process.? The QA process should be tailored to the specific needs of your products or services and should be integrated into the development and delivery process.