Quality assurance refers to the planned processes
Quality assurance refers to the planned processes that are used to ensure that designed products, services, or systems, meet prescribed standards.
In design contexts, “quality” is often determined by the degree to which the design is successful in meeting or exceeding user expectations; however, it can also encompass characteristics such as freedom from defect, safety, reliability, maintainability, and adherence to requirements.
Quality assurance procedures are typically implemented to provide confidence via some form of objective measurement that these standards of quality have, in fact, been met (Evaluation). The modern conception of quality assurance can be traced back to industrial manufacturing processes established in Japan during the post-World War II era.
With the assistance of advocates such as W. Edwards Deming, the Japanese were able to raise demand for their industrial output by focusing on management processes leading to quality rather than simple postproduction inspection methods.
These successes evolved into quality management strategies known as Total Quality Management (TQM).
The basic principle of TQM is that a focus on quality must be present at all levels in an organization and during all stages of product development. The idea is that these efforts to reduce defects and improve customer satisfaction will lead, in turn, to a more successful business.
A number of quality assurance certifications are available for organizations seeking to apply quality management principles. Among them are the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 family of standards and Six Sigma (developed by Motorola).
Companies attaining certifications in these standards must demonstrate adherence to their respective quality management best practices.