Quality and Resource Management
Quality and Resource Management
This domain tests quality planning, assurance, control, and the acquisition and development of the team. Questions often distinguish process compliance from product correctness and ask how to handle resource conflicts.
Core rules
- The quality management plan defines standards, metrics, and acceptance criteria. Cost of quality includes prevention, appraisal, and failure costs; prevention is usually cheaper than rework.
- Quality assurance is process-focused and proactive. Quality control is product-focused and inspects deliverables against criteria.
- Common tools include Pareto charts for prioritizing defects, control charts for stability, and cause-and-effect diagrams for root causes.
- A RACI matrix assigns responsibility, accountability, consultation, and informed status. Each activity should have one accountable person.
- Resource leveling can extend the schedule and change the critical path; resource smoothing tries to preserve the schedule within float.
Worked example
A defect log shows 60 alignment defects, 25 finish defects, 10 labeling defects, and 5 others. A Pareto view shows alignment accounts for 60% of defects. The team applies root-cause analysis to alignment before adding inspectors. Reasoning: inspecting more would catch defects but not prevent them; the Pareto pattern directs prevention effort to the largest cause.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing quality assurance with quality control.
- Gold-plating deliverables that meet requirements.
- Assigning two people as accountable in a RACI.
- Using resource leveling without checking the effect on the critical path.