Every software vendor is aware of the importance of producing products of the highest caliber. For a software project to be deemed a high-value product, it must adhere to several conditions. The terms Quality Assurance and Quality Control are frequently misunderstood. This eduhubspot article will clarify your misconceptions about both terms.
Although they are connected to the stages of software development, the two phrases are very distinct. Let’s first define quality so that we may better comprehend the difference between quality control and quality assurance
Quality is about making sure that the product is free of flaws, inconsistencies, and bugs while also satisfying the needs and expectations of the consumer. It alludes to a standard that the creator must uphold to meet the demands of the product’s users.
What is Assurance?
Assurance is a promise made that the product will be supplied by the expectations of the users of its product. It is typically presented by a business or organization. When we promise something to someone, it gives them confidence that we will fulfill our commitment.
Quality Assurance
The pledge to provide the greatest quality is known as quality assurance. It is implemented during the software development phase and ensures that the associated process, approach, or technique is free of all flaws and inconsistencies. This procedure’s primary objective is to organize error-free software development and to safeguard it from errors.
It’s an effort to avoid problems. The phrase “zero defect method” is occasionally used to describe it. It helps to find process problems early on and fix them. Before completing Quality Control, Quality Assurance is finished.
Many multinational corporations have a section that is solely responsible for quality control. It boosts consumer happiness while also enhancing the company’s reputation. Additionally, it aids in the entity’s acquisition of a competitive position in the market.
It is seen as a preventive strategy that guards against subpar products and services before they take on their final form. It helps the organization save time and money.
The following are a few instances of quality assurance in the software development process:
- Project Management
- Scheduling and creating flowcharts
- Selecting and preparing team members
- Audits, both internal and external
- Inspection of a checklist
- Process descriptions
- Quality Assurance Benefits
- Enhancing Process Control
- An internal check-and-balance system to ensure product quality.
- Final cost savings because mistakes are caught early.
- It facilitates the Quality Control team’s work.
Quality Control
Maintain something inside predetermined bounds and exercise control. The goal of quality control is to eliminate flaws or faults so that the product (software) lives up to the standards or requirements set out by its customers. As the software development cycle comes to a close, it is utilized to find errors.
It is the responsibility of quality assurance to guarantee that all methods, procedures, techniques, and approaches employed in the project have been properly carried out. The primary goal of the quality control process is to guarantee that the product (software) satisfies the actual requirements of the product’s consumers. Finding and correcting the flaws is its goal and you can learn all of it through PMP bootcamps.
All the elements that went into the creation of the product are considered and evaluated during this procedure. As soon as the product is finished, testing must be conducted to identify any flaws. Following testing, the management reviews the findings and decides on whether to accept or reject the product.
Positive Effects of Quality Control
- The goods enhance reputation or image, which will ultimately boost sales.
- Helps save costs by boosting efficiency.
- The product’s developers can vouch for its compliance with customer specifications.
- Aids the business team in anticipating the project’s expected cost.
- Decreases the rate of rejection and lowers the cost of rejection.
The key differences between quality assurance and quality control are as follows.
Quality Assurance refers to a group of procedures that ensure the product development process meets industry standards for quality. Quality Control refers to the collection of practices that ensures the product’s suitability.
Quality Control is reactive, whereas Quality Assurance is proactive. Quality Assurance occurs during the product’s development, whereas Quality Control occurs after the finished product is manufactured.
While quality control places a greater emphasis on standards, quality assurance places more attention on the client.
While Quality Control prioritizes the product, Quality Assurance continues to focus on the process.
While Quality Control finds and sorts out product flaws, Quality Assurance guards against flaws in the product.
In quality assurance, the design stage is when quality is developed. On the other hand, quality is developed during the control step in quality control.
While Quality Control is not a staff role, Quality Assurance is.
While quality control is a corrective action, quality assurance is a preventive effort.
Focus
With a major focus “on the method” used to build the software or product, QA is a proactive quality procedure whose goal is to prevent defects. Ensuring quality during development entails the prevention of quality issues by planned and systematic actions, including documentation that includes Failure Modes and Effect Analysis, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Work Instructions, Control plans, etc.
On the other hand, quality control (QC) is a reactive process because it aims to find and fix any faults, bugs, or flaws “in the finished product.” This includes methods used to attain and preserve software quality once it has been created.
Goal
The objective of quality assurance is to raise the standard of software development or testing procedures so that errors don’t occur during software development. During the development stage, flaws are usually eliminated. Verifying products is an instance of QA.
The objective of quality control, on the other hand, is to find flaws after the program has been made available but before it has been put into use. QC examples include software testing and product validation.
Approach
The approach used in QA and QC differs as well. Setting up a high-quality management system and evaluating its suitability, or routinely auditing its performance, is the philosophy underpinning quality assurance. Audits of various kinds, including systems, processes, and product audits, are carried out.
The goal of quality control is to continuously satisfy customer needs by identifying and removing the causes of flaws in generated software using a variety of methods and technology.
Responsibility
When comparing QA and QC, responsibility is still another aspect to take into account. Everyone on the development team is accountable when we discuss the responsibility factor in QA. Every department, including engineering, maintenance, and quality, has people who fill various roles. To sustain QA, the method is typically implemented by a cross-functional team.
A specific testing team that has been designated for Quality Control is in charge of evaluating the finished product, spotting bugs, and making the necessary enhancements or repairs.
Conclusion
There are plenty of additional methods to contrast QA with QC. For instance, QA entails preparing to execute a process correctly, whereas QC involves taking the necessary steps to carry out the planned procedure. With QA, you ensure that you are following the correct procedures, but with QC, you ensure that the results are as anticipated.
While QC is alone in charge of the software testing life cycle, QA is in charge of the deliverables and is accountable for the entire software development cycle. Finally, QC is product-focused and QA is process-focused.
I hope this has clarified the difference between quality assurance and quality control.
