So, What is the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control?
Difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Many folks over the years have contacted me seeking a Quality Assurance Inspector. They required assistance in developing and auditing their Quality Control processes within their firm and supply chain.
However, there appears to be a misunderstanding of the function and meaning of both and how they interact.
So, Quality Assurance and Quality Control are part of a firm’s overall Quality System. However, as the above diagram shows, Quality Control is not Quality Assurance. Instead, it can be considered part of a company’s Quality Assurance program.
There is a primary way to understand the difference between the two:
- Quality Assurance focuses on preventing defects from occurring
- Quality Control focuses on searching for and finding product defects
What is quality assurance?
Quality Assurance is part of a firm’s quality control system. It is essentially the management of processes and procedures within an organisation to ensure that the output in terms of experience and product achieves a set minimum target.
So, the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control is:
- Quality Assurance is focused on Processes.
- Quality Control is focused on Products.
So examples of processes within Quality Assurance include:
- Processes Documentation
- Monitoring and Appraising
- Vendor Management
- Staff Training
- Procedure Alteration Control
- Standardised Review Methodology
Quality Assurance has two fundamental objectives:
- Be making a product that is fit for purpose – The products produced are made to meet the expectations of what is required of them.
- Be Right First Time – The output is made without mistakes or the need for fixes. This avoids waste and the use of resources to correct errors.
What is Quality Control?
Quality Control is an element of a company’s Quality Assurance program. Therefore, its focus is to check the products and output of the company for defects, functionality and conformity. Quality Control work involves inspecting, testing and analysing products. These include:
- Product Inspection
- Batch Sampling
- Functionality Testing
- Laboratory Analysis
- Software Compliance
So, many firms use their own resources or hire third-party firms to conduct Quality Control. Global firms such as Goodada Inspections provide many of these services worldwide.
Quality Control uses standardised processes such as Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) to determine a sampling plan and defect acceptance levels. If you are interested in learning more about this, please visit Goodada’s AQL page.
Quality Assurance vs Quality Control what is the difference?
Quality Assurance and Quality Control have a very close relationship with each other. I like to use a football analogy to describe this relationship. So, Quality Assurance is a football team, and Quality Control is a player within the football team.
Quality Assurance, also known as QA, is part of managing the quality system within an organisation. Therefore, it covers all the activities, processes and procedures which take place to ensure that outputs meet the required expectations of a plan. Quality Assurance can cover products, services and software.
Checking the actual output against pre-determined targets is Quality Control. It comprises inspections, analysis and tests. If the quality control check results indicate issues, then corrections and adjustments within the Quality Assurance processes will be required.
Many folks use Inspection firms such as Goodada Inspections. Goodada provides Quality Control Inspections in over 76 countries.
Does QA, QC and Inspection Services mean the same thing?
Clients often ask me, “Does QA, QC and Inspection services mean the same thing”. Well, the answer is not they are different, but they are all part of a quality system.
QA is short for Quality Assurance. It is a process that aims to prevent problems and defects from occurring in products. Therefore, QA focuses on processes, procedures and workflows which make a product.
QC is short for Quality Control. It is a process of searching for defects and quality issues in a product. QC focuses on the product.
Inspections are a term for the physical work of checking a product, process or entity. Its objective is to analyse and provide feedback. So, the user of the information can then determine an appropriate course of action. Here is a link to describe the different Types of Inspections you can order from a third-party Inspection company.
So, over to you…
So, hopefully, this blog has provided you with a suitable explanation. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require a Quality Inspection Company or need more information about Quality Control Inspections. Finally, Goodada Quality Inspections offer Audits and QC checks in over 76 countries.
Therefore, for more information, contact:
Contact Person: Aidan Conaty
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Phone:(Europe/ Rest of the World) +353 1 885 3919 ; (UK) +44.020.3287.2990 ; (North America) +1.518.290.6604