Tools for Managing Project

QualityPMI Westchester Quality SIG

-Best Practices-

December 2007

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Objectives

The objective of this presentation is to first provide an overview of the three quality processes, planning, assurance and control -- defined by the PMI methodology, followed by a quality improvement overview and a list of quality tools.

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Quality PlanningQUALITY PLANNING

The PMBOK defines quality planning as “…identifying which quality standards are relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy them.”1

During quality planning a Quality Management Plan is developed (includes the quality policy)

Quality Planning Elements

Identify customersPrioritize customers

Identify requirements (generally stated)Prioritize requirements

Identify specifications (requirement details – specific & measurable)

1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – Third Edition, Project Management Institute, Newtown Square, PA, 2004, p. 179.

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Quality AssuranceQUALITY ASSURANCE

The PMBOK defines quality assurance as “…the application of planned, systematic quality activities to ensure that the project will employ all processes needed to meet requirements.”2 It means that the processes used must satisfy the standards (e.g. requirements specifications) identified during the quality planning process.

Quality assurance is the set of activities that the project team needs do perform to ensure that project performance is meeting the requirements using the defined specifications as the targets. Activities are based on the specifications and operational definitions developed in quality planning.

Quality Planning Elements

Develop assurance activities: Select the standard or specification

e.g., Responsive telephone service (requirement)

e.g., Answer 80 percent of calls within two rings (specification) Define the activities (action to be taken to collect the data) that will collect the data and that will compare results to the specifications (in quality

control). Develop and apply metrics for the activity.

e.g., Activity: “Determine (action) the percentage of calls answered on two rings during a 24-hour period.”

e.g., Metric: “Percent of calls answered on two rings” – you may create a column to log the metric Define and provide resources – types of resources Assign responsibility to a specific entity – who will do it

Assemble activities into a Quality Assurance Plan -- place them in the quality plan

2. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – Third Edition, Project Management Institute, Newtown Square, PA, 2004, p. 187.

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Quality ControlQUALITY CONTROL

The PMBOK defines quality control as “…monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory performance.”3

Quality Planning Elements

Quality control addresses the outcomes (results) of the project activities executed during quality assurance. It monitors performance and does something about the results -- thus eliminating the causes of unsatisfactory results. Results provide feedback to quality assurance and disclose the effectiveness of quality assurance activities. In-process inspection activities in quality control include measuring, examining and testing. Results from Quality Control provide the data that is examined during quality audits.

Note: Quality audits may use the results obtained from quality control to determine if quality assurance activities are having the desired result. If not (not showing conformance to specifications), quality assurance activities should be reviewed and improved. Audits should be completed at the end of major milestones or when requested.

3. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – Third Edition, Project Management Institute, Newtown Square, PA, 2004, p. 190.

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Quality ImprovementQUALTIY IMPROVEMENT

Joseph M. Juran describes quality improvement as “…the organized creation of beneficial change; the attainment of unprecedented levels of performance… breakthrough.”4 Therefore, it is a deliberate process which uses objective measurement and data. Because it is a deliberate process, it is associated with customer satisfaction and competitiveness – not necessarily with conformance to project requirements specifications, which is a quality control process.

Quality improvement is the creation of beneficial change, and thus it is the responsibility of top management. All quality improvements begin with data collection The Plan-do-check-act cycle developed by Walter Shewhart, is a proven, disciplined approach to quality

improvement

Plan – selects a process for improvement – that will have beneficial effect Do – apply the change on a small scale like a test case Check – observe the effects of the change – to determine effectiveness Act – If the results are as expected, implement the change – implement the change system-wide if it is

effective, or return to the plan step and start over with better information.

Note: Many of the tools used for quality control are used for quality improvement.

4. Juran, M.M. and Godfrey, A.B., Eds., Juran’s Quality Handbook, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1999, p. 53.

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Project Quality Overview

Quality Planning

Customers ↓ identify and prioritize customers

Requirements ↓ identify and prioritize requirements

Specifications ↓ these are checked with results in quality control

Quality Assurance

QA Activities ↓ activities are inserted into the quality plan and executed

Quality Plan ↓ results of activities are checked in quality control

Quality Control

Quality Control ↑ results are checked with specifications;

↓ exits quality control to quality improvements

Quality Improvements ↓ improvement of processes toward beneficial change: May use a plan-do-check-act process

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Tools for Managing Project Quality

Collecting Project Data

Definition

Check Sheet It is used to compile and record data from observations or historical data Steps in preparing check sheets: Define, decide, design, collect

Understanding Project Data

Definition

Graphs Graphs are used to organize, summarize, and display data, usually over time: line, bar and circle graphs Steps in preparing graphs: Define, design, collect, enter (prepare graph by entering data). A check sheet may be used to collect the data Line graph is commonly used to report on financial information. It shows how data change over time. A ‘burn chart’ is a name used to show how available funds are being burned up (expended) during project implementation in relation to the project budget A bar graph display data as vertical or horizontal bar and can show data over time or data at a single point in time. It shows how data change and how separate data elements are related to each other. A circle graph (pie chart) is useful for displaying data and the relationship between data elements and the whole are important. It shows how data elements are related to each other in relationship to the whole.

Histograms It is a type of bar graph that deals with data that exist in a continuous range from low to high numbers. They display frequency distribution on how often individual data points occur across the range of data. Steps in preparing histograms: Select the measures to be examined, collect the data, prepare frequency table, design histogram, draw histogram, and interpret the data.

Pareto charts It is used to identify the greatest opportunity for improvement and the small number of most influential cause or vital few among a set of possible sources of errors. It is a bar chart with data in descending order.

Scatter diagram It identifies possible relationships between two variables to understand relationships among data elements. Steps in preparing a scatter diagram: define the relationship, collect paired samples of data, plot the data on x-y axis, and interpret the data. Close groupings suggest a strong relationship while wide groupings suggest weak relationships or no relationship.

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Tools for Managing Project Quality

Understanding Project Processes

Definition

Flowchart It identifies the sequence of events in a process. It may identify hidden elements in a process. Steps: Set boundaries (scope of process), determine steps (inputs, outputs, activities, and decisions), establish sequence of process steps, draw the flowchart, test the flow chart, and finalize the flow chart.

Run chart It is used to observe process performance over time. It is a line graph with data that usually changes around the centerline called the mean. It is used for repeatable processes in which results is expected to be stable over time. It will show defects, trends, shifts, or cycles. Steps: Identify the process to be observed, collect the data, create the graph, and interpret the data.

Control chart It is used for monitoring, controlling and improving processes over time. It is used to analyze repeatable processes in which results is expected to be stable over time. Applicable for administrative processes.

Analyzing Project Processes

Definition

Cause and effect diagrams

They are used to identify, explore, and display all possible causes related to a problem and their root causes. Also called the fishbone diagram.

Phillar charts They are a cause and effect diagrams that are used for analyzing a single problem and identifying the possible causes.

Solving Project

Problems Definition

Force field analysis

To identify and understand the forces that influence change and are at play within an organization: those that help or enable change and those that hinder or restrain change.

Brainstorming It is a practice that helps you think to generate a high volume of ideas creatively and efficiently that is free of criticism and other negative influence.

Affinity diagrams It is used to organize and summarize issues or ideas usually derived from brainstorming.

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Contact Information

Linda P. Dowdell, PMP, MBA, MS

President of Dowdell Consulting Services, LLC

A Project Management Services Company

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lpdowdell@mypmtools.com

914-874-4343

Public Relations Program Manager

& Quality Chair for

Project Management Institute Westchester