Importance of Figure 8-2

Submitted by ashwin on Wed, 04/30/2014 - 16:05

This question relates to the Figure 8-2 on PMBoK 5 guide.

Figure 8-2. Fundamental Relationships of Quality Assurance and Control Quality to the IPECC, PDCA, Cost of Quality Models and Project Management Process Groups.

This explains the fundamental relationships of comparing processes with other methodologies. I would like to understand its importance and how they would help in answering some specific questions? With the PDCA model we understand Plan as in Planning, Do as in Executing, Check and Act as in Monitoring and Controlling. Similarly, any references to the others? Would they be widely applied?

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philstinnet

Wed, 04/30/2014 - 16:46

Importance of Figure 8.2 - It integrates several methodologies. It is a good figure to understand how the different methodologies label the steps in the project management. 

How would they help in answering questions - No one can answer this. You may see the question based on the figure in the exam. Or you may not see it. Being said that, what minimum should one study to pass the exam is not an ideal approach.

Understanding the corelation other than PDCA - Take 'Cost of Quality'. It has four legs. 

Leg 1 - Development of process, SOP, Training etc. This all falls under planning. 

Leg 2 - Inspection, testing, audit, destructive testing loss etc - This can fall under two types of Inspection. The 1st inspection is the one where you are auditing that there is a process and people are following it. The 2nd type of inspection can be at the end of the product. The audit-type inspection comes under 'Execution' and at the end of the product-type inspection comes in 'Monitoring and Controlling'.

Leg 3 - Rework/scrap goes to Quality Control.

Leg 4 - Defects found by customer are not shown as part of the 5 progress groups. But, it can go either QA or QC.

Did you ever got the phone calls for recalls on your car ?

I drive a Hyundai car. I received two recalls - each two years apart. The dealer told me that there is the problem with the head lamp. They will fix it without any charge. I booked the appointment. They fixed it by replacing the lamp. This is QC.

Somewhere in the world, the operation and quality department of Hyundai motors might be adjusting the process or procedure in their manufacturing plant so that this problem does not re-occur. This is QA.

As you can see 'Cost of Quality' method is interacting with QA and QC. Therefore, there are arrows which go up and down between these three. In other words, they are really not totally seperate entities. 

Thanks