With so many folks holding job titles that include “QA/QC,” it was time for yours truly to ask: is there actually a difference between quality assurance and quality control? And if there is a true difference, is there any value in articulating it? The two are clearly related, but interestingly enough, they’re often confused for being the same thing despite being distinct and comprehensive.
Now frankly, in my humble opinion, you should be doing both QA and QC. That means QA/QC professionals and departments may have major opportunities to expand what they’re doing, improve processes, and grow their careers. In fact, many are already using the same types of tools and analyses — just not applying them broadly across both QA and QC. I’ll explore the typical tasks associated with each and how to build out your quality efforts to make them more robust.
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality assurance, also known as QA, focuses on preventing defects and mistakes through the establishment of processes and procedures. Philosophically, QA is about planning and proactively designing processes that prevent issues from occurring. The most common activities associated with QA include process design, documentation, training, and auditing to ensure adherence to quality standards.
If you aren’t harnessing the power of statistics and predictive analytics, your QA program may be process-driven, but it’s not data-driven. There are plenty of ways to prevent defects — from statistical process control and measurement systems analysis to discrete event simulation, which can model and improve quality before you ever implement a change.
Watch our recent webinar on-demand to learn more about statistical process control.
What is Quality Control?
Quality control is more reactive, focused on identifying and correcting defects after they’ve occurred. Philosophically, QC is about verifying that outputs meet required standards. Activities like inspection, testing, and analysis of products or services to ensure they meet specifications typically fall under QC.
First, let’s talk about improving quality control. Too many companies are still collecting measurement data manually — something that can and should be automated. Manual collection increases risk, and even if you're only measuring finished goods, you're likely missing opportunities to monitor inputs like supplier quality.
Want to learn more about automating data collection?
Unfortunately, I hear far too often that organizations with strong quality control programs aren’t paying enough attention to quality assurance. And look, I get it — if you're consistently producing goods that meet spec, you might be thinking, "Why invest in QA?" The answer is simple: the idiom “you don’t have a problem until you have a problem” exists for a reason. It's the same reason you go to the doctor even if you feel fine — and the same reason I wrote the blog “If My Product Meets Specifications, Why Do I Care if My Process is Capable or Stable?”
If none of that hits home, try this: preventing defects is almost always more cost-effective than catching them after production.
