Quality
Quality
The Quality theme tests whether quality is planned into products rather than inspected in at the end. Customer quality expectations are captured and translated into acceptance criteria. The quality management approach sets standards, roles, and methods. Quality planning identifies products, quality criteria, methods, responsibilities, and resources; the quality register records planned and completed quality activities. Each product description includes purpose, composition, quality criteria, quality method, and quality responsibilities. Quality control measures products against criteria; quality assurance checks that the quality system is being followed and is effective. Acceptance criteria belong to the project product and are used at acceptance; quality criteria belong to individual products. Quality tolerances define acceptable variation.
Worked example
A project must deliver a training manual. The project product description states acceptance criteria: approved by the operations director and usable in a two-day course. A product description for one chapter sets quality criteria: all procedures match the approved process, no more than three factual errors per 1,000 words, and every screenshot matches the released software. The quality method is a peer review plus a pilot session. The review finds six factual errors. The product fails its quality criteria, actions are logged in the quality register, and the chapter is re-reviewed. Reasoning: the criteria are measurable and tied to a method, so acceptance is evidence-based.
Traps
Do not use acceptance criteria and quality criteria interchangeably. Do not write quality criteria such as good quality that cannot be tested. Do not confuse quality control with quality assurance. Do not omit quality responsibilities or the quality register. Do not assume review means approval; failed criteria require action and re-checking.