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What Is Quality Control (QC)?

• Understanding QC
• Difference With Quality Assurance

The Bottom Line

• Business Essentials

Quality Control: What It Is, How It Works, and QC Careers

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Quality control (QC) is a process through which a business seeks to ensure that product quality is maintained or improved. Quality control requires the company to create an environment where management and employees strive for perfection. This is done by training personnel, creating benchmarks for product quality, and testing products to check for statistically significant variations.

A significant aspect of quality control is the establishment of well-defined controls . These controls help standardize both production and reactions to quality issues. Limiting room for error by specifying which production activities are to be completed by which personnel reduces the chance that employees will be involved in tasks for which they do not have adequate training.

Key Takeaways

• Quality control (QC) is a process through which a business seeks to ensure that product quality is maintained or improved.
• Quality control involves testing units and determining if they are within the specifications for the final product.
• The quality control used in a business is highly dependent on the product or industry, and several techniques exist for measuring quality.
• The food industry uses quality control methods to ensure customers do not get sick from their products.
• Quality control creates safe measures that can be implemented to make sure deficient or damaged products do not end up with customers.

Ryan Oakley / Investopedia

Understanding Quality Control (QC)

Quality control involves testing units and determining if they are within the specifications for the final product. The purpose of the testing is to determine any need for corrective actions in the manufacturing process. Good quality control helps companies meet consumer demands for better products.

Why Is QC Needed?

Creating a product is costly, time-consuming, and can be unsafe without controls in place. Additionally, if a company sends defective products out for purchase, it could be held liable for injuries or issues that arise from using its products. Quality control inspectors ensure that defective or unsafe products are identified , and the causes are corrected.

How Is It Done?

Quality testing is generally completed in each step of a manufacturing or business process. Employees often begin by testing raw materials , pulling samples from the manufacturing line, and testing the finished product. Testing at the various stages of manufacturing helps identify where a production problem is occurring and the remedial steps it requires to prevent it in the future.

In a non-manufacturing business, quality testing can involve customer service evaluations, questionnaires, surveys, inspections, or audits. A business can use any process or method to verify that its end product or service meets the customer's needs and is safe and legal.

QC Is Different by Industry

The quality control used in a business is highly dependent on the product or industry. For example, in food and drug manufacturing, quality control includes ensuring the product does not make a consumer sick, so the company performs chemical and microbiological testing of samples from the production line.

In aircraft manufacturing, quality control and assurance is of the utmost importance. Manufacturers are required to document, track, inspect, and reinspect all items and phases of a build to build evidence that everything is completed to very strict standards.

In automobile manufacturing, quality control focuses on parts meeting specifications and tolerances. QC ensures engines, drive trains, and other mechanical parts operate smoothly, efficiently, safely, and as designed.

In electronics, quality testing might involve using meters that measure the flow of electricity and stress testing.

Quality Control vs. Quality Assurance

Quality control and quality assurance are terms often used to define the same thing, but there are distinct differences. Quality control focuses on quality requirements, such as ensuring a part meets specifications. Quality assurance refers to the sum of all actions and processes needed to demonstrate that quality requirements are fulfilled.

What this difference means for quality professionals is that as you move through a quality control career, you might transition from quality control to quality assurance. Quality control is part of quality assurance, which consists of programs and departments that assure upper-level management, customers, and government inspectors that products meet all quality requirements and safety standards .

Quality Control Methods

There are several methods quality control uses to communicate and track inspections and issues. For instance, a quality control chart is a graphic that depicts whether sampled products or processes are meeting their intended specifications—and, if not, the degree by which they vary from those specifications.

When one chart analyzes a specific product attribute, it is called a univariate chart. A chart that measures variances in several product attributes is called a multivariate chart. Tracking variances allows businesses to see how many defects per production unit they produce and what types of defects are occurring. Here are a few examples of some methods used.

X-Bar Chart

Randomly selected products are tested for the given attributes the chart is tracking. A common form of a quality control chart is the X-bar chart, where the y-axis on the graph tracks the degree to which the variance of the tested attribute is acceptable. The x-axis tracks the samples tested. Analyzing the variance pattern on this chart helps you determine if defects are occurring randomly or systematically.

Taguchi Method

The Taguchi Method of quality control is another approach that emphasizes the roles of research and development, product design, and product development in reducing the occurrence of defects and failures in products. The Taguchi Method considers design more important than the manufacturing process in quality control and tries to eliminate variances in production before they can occur.

100% Inspection Method

This 100% inspection method is a quality control process involving looking at and assessing all product parts. This type of quality control is done to rule out flaws in products. This method is often used to evaluate valuable metals. The 100% inspection method calls for data about the manufacturing process and software to analyze inventory.

The challenge of using this method is that looking at every single item used to build a product is expensive and could destabilize or render the product unusable. For example, if you use this method to examine organic strawberries, you risk damaging the berries, rendering them unsellable.

Quality control methods help standardize production and reactions to quality issues in various industries, from food production to automobile manufacturing.

Quality Control Careers

Quality control can be a rewarding career if you enjoy working with people, communicating, presenting results, and working to make products better and safer. To become a quality control inspector, you'll need (depending on the industry):

• A high school diploma for entry-level positions
• A bachelor's degree, depending on the industry
• Experience in an industry
• Licenses and certifications for some industries and businesses

Other qualities that are necessary for quality control professionals are:

• Attention to detail
• Mechanical and math skills
• Physical abilities and strength
• Technical skills
• Performance under pressure

Career Path

The route to a career in quality control and assurance varies by industry, so there may be differences. However, you'll generally need several years of experience in your industry. Typically, you begin by being hired as a quality assurance or control associate after meeting educational and work experience requirements.

Once you gain work experience as a quality specialist or associate, you may move into a senior specialist position and begin managing teams of quality control specialists. You may attend professional development courses sponsored by your employer or be required to gain certifications such as Six Sigma. You might also need to earn a professional designation such as Certified Quality Inspector.

Moving up the career path, you have more options. You may be able to choose from or be selected to be a:

• QA Systems Manager
• QA Operations Manager
• QA Compliance Manager

These positions can lead up to upper-level management or executive levels within quality control:

• Director of Quality
• Head of Compliance
• Vice President of Quality

Quality Control Salaries

The average pay for quality control professionals differs by industry, experience, and position. Pay increases as you gain more experience and move into management positions. As of May 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports average salaries as:

• Professional, scientific and technical services: $47,480
• Manufacturing: $44,900
• Wholesale trade: $40,560
• Administrative and support services: $34,190

What Does Quality Control Mean?

Quality control means how a company measures product quality and improves it if need be. Quality control can be done in many ways, from testing products, reviewing manufacturing processes, and creating benchmarks. This is all done to monitor significant variations in a product.

What Are the 4 Types of Quality Control?

There are several methods of quality control. These include an x-bar chart, Six Sigma, 100% inspection mode, and the Taguchi Method.

Why Is Quality Control Important?

Quality control ensures that defective goods do not go out to the public. Companies that have quality control methods in place often have employees who pay close attention to their work.

In food and drug manufacturing, quality control prevents products that make customers sick, and in manufacturing, quality control can ensure that accidents don't happen when people use a product.

What Are 3 Examples of Quality Control?

Three examples of quality control could be in the food industry; overseeing the ingredient specifications, reviewing supplier lists, and ensuring the facility where the food product is made is sanitary.

Having quality control in place within a business helps ensure product quality and the overall success of a business. The quality control environment influences employees' attitudes about the workplace and creates a sense of ownership of the products and company.

Quality control can be done in various ways, from training personnel to creating data-driven tools to test products and set standards. Quality control methods help create a safe work environment and products that are safe to use and meet customers' needs. Additionally, it is a rewarding career for someone who enjoys investigating issues and improving outcomes.

American Society for Quality. " Quality ASSURANCE & Quality control ."

Bureau of Labor Statistics. " How to Become a Quality Control Inspector ."

Proclinical. " Quality Assurance Career Path ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Quality Control Inspectors | Pay ."

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1. Establish Clear Objectives

The first step in developing a quality control plan is establishing clear product quality objectives. Consider the expectations of your target customers and define what quality means for your brand. Make sure to include detailed product specifications, such as size, shape, materials, components, colors, and any other relevant information. This will help you hold your manufacturer accountable and prevent quality fade due to factory modifications.

If you manufacture artisanal candles, your objectives could include the following:

• Using eco-friendly materials.
• Ensuring a consistent burn time.
• Maintaining a specific scent strength throughout the candle’s lifespan.

2. Define Steps, Practices, and Procedures

Efficiency is critical in managing quality control. Here are the steps you should follow to ensure consistent quality throughout the production process: This could include quality checks at various stages of production, communication with manufacturers and suppliers, and addressing any issues. A comprehensive plan that is thoroughly documented ensures the avoidance of any overlooked steps and promotes consistency in your processes.

In the case of artisanal candles, steps could include:

• Regular checks on the quality of wax and scents used.
• Monitoring the production process for consistency in size and shape.
• Conducting burn tests to ensure burn time and scent strength meet your objectives.

3. Allocate Responsibilities

Outline the distinct roles and responsibilities assigned to our team members for effectively managing and implementing the quality control plan. This could include designating a quality control manager, assigning inspection and testing responsibilities, and determining who will communicate with manufacturers and suppliers. 

Transparent allocation of responsibilities will help prevent miscommunication and ensure that issues are promptly addressed.

4. Set Quality Control Standards

Quality Control Standards are essential for holding manufacturers accountable for meeting your product specifications. One widely used statistical tool for managing quality is the Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL). AQL helps you determine the maximum number of defective products allowed in a sample before the entire batch is unacceptable. Set appropriate AQL levels for your products to meet your quality objectives.

5. Implement Inspection, Product Testing, and Audits

Three essential tools for managing supplier quality are product quality inspections, factory audits, and laboratory testing. Regular inspections, audits, and tests will help you identify issues early and ensure that your products consistently meet quality standards. Document your inspection, product testing , and audit schedules in your quality control plan.

6. Plan for Modifications

Your quality control plan should be flexible enough to accommodate product specifications or manufacturing process changes. Establish procedures for updating your plan to remain relevant and practical. This could include revising product specifications, adjusting AQL levels , or changing inspection and testing schedules.

7. Measure Success and Failure

Evaluate the success of your quality control plan by regularly reviewing inspection, audit, and lab test reports. Track trends over time to identify areas for improvement and ensure that your shipments and suppliers consistently meet your quality standards . Include your methods for measuring success and failure in your quality control plan.

How Tetra Inspection Can Help with Quality Control Inspection

Tetra Inspection is a professional third-party inspection company specializing in quality control for businesses of all sizes. Our highly experienced inspectors conduct pre-production, in-process, and pre-shipment inspections , ensuring products meet your specifications. We develop customized inspection protocols tailored to your unique requirements and provide comprehensive reports with photographs, test results, and observations for informed decision-making.

In addition to product inspections, we perform factory audits to evaluate supplier compliance with international standards and identify potential risks. Partnering with Tetra Inspection streamlines your processes, detects issues early, and guarantees consistent product quality. 

Contact us today for tailored inspection services and factory audits, and let our experts support your quality control plan. 

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6 Steps for Creating an Effective Quality Control Plan

Chloe Henderson

Without strict quality control, goods can go unchecked, resulting in faulty components or poor product performance. These issues not only reflect badly on a business but can significantly impact customer retention. However, a detailed quality assurance plan can mitigate production risks to ensure all materials, processes, and final products are up to the expected quality standards.

What is Quality Control?

Quality control is typically the final step businesses take before sending products off to distributors. At this stage, manufacturers run a series of procedures, such as inspections and corrections, to ensure goods meet the quality standards. This phase is crucial as it determines if the product is ready to be sent to the consumer. If the goods are sub-standard, it may lead to damaged reputation, decreased retention, and increased returns. Quality control also involves examining how a product is produced, stored, and shipped. If a product is sub-par or damaged, it is considered to be defective. Therefore, organizations need to determine efficient processes that protect the integrity of their products throughout all supply chain stages. Depending on the industry and the types of products a company distributes, they may need to implement internal and external quality controls. Internal control is typically found in businesses that use in-house protocols. This can vary from equipment maintenance to evaluating employee performance analyses. Management is responsible for determining how and when to perform quality assurance procedures. On the other hand, external quality control is vital for products that are sent to third parties. For example, once food is produced and shipped, outside businesses must perform inspections to evaluate its nutritional value and expiration dates before selling the products to customers.

6 Steps for Writing a Quality Control Plan

Outlining a quality control plan streamlines a company's assurance procedure by clearly defining protocols, employee duties, and potential responses. Businesses can create a quality control plan by following 6 steps- 1. Create an Organization Chart Management should first outline an organizational chart that states job descriptions, business qualifications, and training required to perform each quality assurance procedure. These requirements need to be documented to show that employees conducting inspections are trained and qualified. This document should be kept on file to show upper management in the event of concerns or errors. 2. Define Responsibilities Next, management needs to outline the duties of internal employees and external affiliates. Each party should understand what processes they are responsible for and who will quality check their work. While some small businesses allow employees to quality check and verify their own work, staff members are typically required to conduct these procedures separately. This requires separate documentation to ensure each task was designated an adequate amount of time, as multitasking can lead to increased human error. However, large companies prefer different employees within the same department to check their peers' work. These quality assurance specifications should be clearly defined to avoid confusion and ensure each step is performed correctly. 3. Purchase and Receive Materials Before purchasing materials, management should understand the specifications to order components that meet the desired quality standards. While finding vendors with the lowest prices may save companies capital, it may fall short of their quality assurance standards. Therefore, defining the key characteristics of materials is crucial before beginning the ordering process. Once the materials are delivered, employees should inspect the shipment to ensure all products are up to standard. If the delivery does not meet the desired quality level, the company should return the items to the supplier.

4. Verify Suppliers' Qualifications While raw materials are relatively simple to inspect, performing quality assurance on more complex components and equipment may be challenging. Therefore, companies should specify their requirements and standards for vendors before offering a bid. For example, businesses could require a third-party audit on a vendor to verify that their internal processes meet regulations. Then, organizations should evaluate potential suppliers' reputation, brand, and qualifications before finalizing a contract. 5. Evaluate Quality Feedback While the goal of quality assurance is to ensure products are up to par before presenting them to customers, feedback is an excellent tool for improving quality and item performance. By investigating online reviews, user complaints, and suggestions, companies can pinpoint a product's strengths and weaknesses. Organizations should designate a customer service team that cross-examines reviews with compliance records to determine if malfunctions were due to non-compliance. If an employee finds a process to be non-compliant, they must report the issue. 6. Develop a Process for Corrective Action Lastly, companies need to establish a corrective plan to solve quality issues, such as violations and non-compliance. When a non-compliant process is reported, the employee responsible for quality control must verify how the problem originated. It may be a result of a malfunction or worker negligence. Once the cause is defined, the business needs to implement a solution to prevent the event from reoccurring. This could include additional quality checks or automated software, such as inventory ordering solutions. With a quality control plan, businesses can ensure that all products meet expected standards and corrective procedures are in place to address consumer concerns. This shows customers that a company values their feedback and seeks to provide the best products on the market.

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How to Develop a Simple Quality Control Plan for Your Product

by Insight Team | Nov 16, 2021 | Quality Assurance , Quality Control

Are you building a new consumer brand and putting your products out into the market? If your goods fail to meet consumer expectations, it can lead to poor reviews, reduced sales, and even business failure.

To avoid disastrous product quality issues, you need to have a quality plan — a document that, according to ASQ , outlines “quality standards, practices, resources, specifications, and the sequence of activities relevant to a particular product.”

But if you’re a small company without the resources to hire a full-time quality control and assurance team, how do you develop this plan? Here we will explain the essential elements required to create your quality plan.

Table of Contents

What Goes Into a Simple Quality Control Plan? (8 Elements)

If we follow ASQ’s guidelines for a quality plan, it should generally include:

• Objectives to be Obtained
• Steps, Operating Practices, and Procedures
• Allocation of Responsibilities
• Specific Documented Quality Standards
• Inspection, Testing, and Audit Programs
• Procedures for Modifying Your Plan
• A Method for Measuring Success/Failure
• Other Actions for Meeting Objectives

Let’s cover each of these bullet points and discuss how you might incorporate them.

#1 Objectives

If you don’t set clear objectives, how will you assess your performance effectively? Quality can mean different things to different businesses, so the process of defining what it means for your brand and target customers is essential.

Product design and specifications play a crucial role in defining objectives. So what materials go into your product, and what performance standards does it meet? If we assume that your product’s design is already finished (and it is designed well), you need to include its detailed specifications in your quality plan.

For example, if your product is a plastic cup, you might specify that it should measure 4 inches tall, 3 ½ inches across the opening, 2 ½ inches in diameter at the bottom, and the color of the cup should be cherry red. It might be made of a specific type of plastic and have a particular pattern printed on it.

Include anything relevant in your specifications, such as volume, size, shape, measurements, components, materials, colors, printing details, and more.

Think of it this way: the more detailed your specifications are, the more clear of a target the factory has. Only by defining your product specifications clearly will you be able to hold your manufacturer accountable to them. Without detailed specifications, you leave yourself open to modifications at the factory’s discretion, leading to quality fade .

#2 Steps, Practices, and Procedures

Operating your business as efficiently as possible is a worthwhile goal. So document the steps you will follow to ensure quality. For example, after placing an order with the factory, the next step might be to notify your third-party inspection company of the date the factory finishes production, so they know when to inspect.

What happens when an inspector checks your goods and discovers an issue? Your quality plan should answer this question. For example, you might agree in advance with the factory that they are responsible for the cost of reinspection after they rework the goods.

Think about all the quality-related steps you need to take and include these in your plan. Doing so will give you steps to follow so that things don’t get missed.

#3 Responsibilities

The way you divide responsibilities will depend on the size of your company — you might be a solopreneur, work with partners, have employees, or be an employee yourself. Whatever the case, you should determine who will manage the factory and third-party QC relationships day-to-day.

When issues come up, it will be clearer who is responsible for handling them. That way, you can avoid issues getting dropped due to miscommunication.

#4 Quality Standards

In section #1 (Objectives), we mentioned that you should include product specifications. Of course, you want your factory to meet these as closely as possible. But if you’re going to hold your manufacturer accountable to them, you need to have well-defined quality standards.

If you want to manage quality, it is vital to understand sampling standards for product inspections. And the most commonly used statistical tool is called Acceptance Quality Limit , or AQL.

When conducting AQL inspections, many consumer product brands consider the following to be acceptable:

• A 2.5% defect level for “major” defects
• A 4.0% defect level for “minor” defects
• A 0% defect level for “critical” defects

You need to determine what makes a defect major vs. minor vs. critical when it comes to your specific product. You also need to decide whether the 2.5/4.0/0 defect levels are appropriate for your situation . Once you’ve determined your defect classifications, AQLs, and inspection levels, you should include them in your quality plan.

#5 Inspection, Testing, and Audits

You should have three essential tools in your QA/QC toolbox to help you manage supplier quality. They are:

• Product Quality Inspections – This is where an inspector travels to the factory and verifies that products meet your quality standards. You can conduct an inspection before, during, or after a production run.
• Factory Audit – An auditor assesses your new or existing supplier’s systems and production facility. Their report helps you determine how well the manufacturer meets your needs, and you can evaluate their quality systems, social responsibility, environmental friendliness, and anything relevant.
• Laboratory Testing – The factory sends your product to a laboratory for analysis. The resulting test report helps you determine its properties — such as whether it contains harmful substances. Testing can also assess how well the product meets performance standards.

You should decide how often you will use these three tools and include this information in your quality management plan. For example, you might audit your factory before the first purchase order and then once a year after that. You also might conduct an inspection after every other production run and lab test your product once a year.

#6 Making Modifications

As your situation changes, you may need to update your quality plan. Perhaps you change a component or material in your product specifications. Or maybe your factory has been consistently hitting its quality targets, and you want to modify your acceptable defect levels or inspect less frequently. Make a note of all situations in which you will need to alter your quality plan.

#7 Measuring Success/Failure

Your inspection, audit, and lab test reports provide insight into success or failure. Reviewing these is one way to ensure that your shipments and suppliers meet your needs.

Aside from reviewing reports individually, you should track trends over time. Determine how you will use these reports and include this information in your quality plan.

You can include anything else you think is relevant to managing quality. For example, you might decide on steps you’ll take to maintain good relationships with your suppliers and quality service providers, such as scheduling check-ins with your contacts at a predetermined frequency.

Conclusion: Putting it All Together and Getting Results

Good quality management is essential to the health of your business, and a well-written quality plan can help you achieve your desired results. To develop your quality plan, consider each of these eight elements carefully.

By fleshing out the key points we’ve listed, you’ll have the information you need to develop a simple quality plan. It may not be perfect at first, but you should treat it as a living document and update it periodically as you learn more about what it takes to manage product quality.

We recommend the following guide if you plan to conduct AQL inspections and want to understand how they work.

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Hello Irvine,

The page is now live again at https://insight-quality.com/aql-inspections-101/ . Apologies for the temporary disappearance.

Thanks for sharing this information.

We’re glad you found it helpful, Aidan.

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Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians

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Quality control is the backbone of any successful manufacturing or production process. As a quality control technician, you understand the importance of having a solid business plan to ensure consistent and effective quality standards. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians comes in!

With this template, you'll be able to:

• Outline your company's quality control objectives and strategies
• Define key performance indicators to measure and track quality standards
• Identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions
• Collaborate with your team to ensure everyone is aligned and accountable for quality control

Take your quality control efforts to the next level with ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians. Start achieving excellence in every aspect of your manufacturing or production process today!

Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians Benefits

A business plan template for quality control technicians offers a range of benefits for ensuring top-notch quality control in manufacturing or production processes. Here are some key advantages:

• Provides a clear roadmap for quality control objectives and strategies
• Helps in identifying and implementing key performance indicators (KPIs) to track quality metrics
• Ensures consistent adherence to quality standards throughout the production process
• Facilitates effective communication and collaboration among quality control teams
• Enables proactive identification and mitigation of potential quality issues
• Streamlines quality control processes, leading to increased efficiency and productivity
• Enhances customer satisfaction by delivering products that meet or exceed quality expectations.

Main Elements of Quality Control Technicians Business Plan Template

Quality control technicians can streamline their work and ensure consistent quality standards with ClickUp's Business Plan Template. Here are the main elements included:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each task with statuses such as Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Use custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important information to each task and easily track and organize your business plan.
• Custom Views: Access different views like Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide to visualize your business plan from different angles and manage it effectively.
• Collaboration Tools: Collaborate with your team members by assigning tasks, leaving comments, and attaching files directly in ClickUp.
• Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline your quality control processes with ClickUp's Automations feature.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians

If you're a quality control technician and need to create a business plan to outline your strategies and goals, follow these six steps to effectively use the Business Plan Template in ClickUp:

1. Define your objectives

Start by clearly defining your objectives for your quality control business. Determine what you want to achieve in terms of quality standards, customer satisfaction, and overall business growth. This will help guide your strategies and actions moving forward.

Use Goals in ClickUp to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives for your quality control business.

2. Assess your current processes

Evaluate your current quality control processes and identify any areas that need improvement. This could include analyzing your inspection methods, testing procedures, documentation processes, and communication channels. Understanding your current strengths and weaknesses will help you develop strategies to enhance your operations.

Create tasks in ClickUp to systematically assess and document your current quality control processes.

3. Develop quality control strategies

Based on your objectives and assessment, develop strategies to improve your quality control operations. This could involve implementing new testing techniques, investing in advanced equipment, training your team on best practices, or enhancing your data analysis capabilities.

Use the Gantt chart in ClickUp to create a visual timeline for implementing your quality control strategies.

4. Define key performance indicators (KPIs)

Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you measure the success of your quality control business. These could include metrics such as defect rates, customer satisfaction scores, on-time delivery performance, or process efficiency. Setting clear KPIs will allow you to track your progress and make data-driven decisions.

Create custom fields in ClickUp to track and monitor your chosen KPIs.

5. Implement quality control measures

Put your strategies into action by implementing the necessary quality control measures. This could involve training your team, updating standard operating procedures (SOPs), conducting regular audits, and implementing quality assurance processes.

Use Automations in ClickUp to streamline your quality control measures and automate repetitive tasks.

6. Monitor, analyze, and adapt

Continuously monitor and analyze your quality control processes to ensure they are effective and efficient. Regularly review your KPIs, collect feedback from customers and employees, and make adjustments as needed. The business environment is constantly evolving, so it's important to adapt your quality control strategies to stay ahead.

Utilize Dashboards in ClickUp to track and analyze your quality control performance in real-time.

By following these steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you can create a comprehensive business plan that will help you optimize your quality control operations and achieve your business goals.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Quality Control Technicians

Quality control technicians can use this Business Plan Template to streamline their quality control processes and ensure consistent adherence to quality standards in their manufacturing or production processes.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a comprehensive business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline the different sections and topics of your business plan
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section and topic, categorizing them into statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for each section and topic, ensuring timely completion
• The Business Plan View provides a holistic overview of your entire business plan, allowing you to easily navigate and review the content
• The Getting Started Guide View provides step-by-step instructions and guidance on how to effectively use the template and create a robust business plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to include additional information and track specific details
• Update statuses, custom fields, and progress as you work through the business plan to keep team members informed and ensure alignment
• Monitor and analyze the business plan to identify areas for improvement and ensure the effectiveness of your quality control strategies.
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Every small business owner frets over the costs associated with running a company. Yet, according to recent studies, labor remains the number one cost for businesses at 70% of their spending, followed by inventory , which, on average, consists of 17-25% of a business’s budget. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Did you know quality control can help you save money throughout your business and improve your customer service?

What is Quality Control?

When you think of quality control, you probably think of manufacturing businesses inspecting products for flaws. But, in reality, quality control processes can be used in all types of companies, whether they are product-based or service-based, B2B or B2C.

Quality control is a critical component of a well-run business. A quality control program helps ensure your small business delivers a consistent product, service and customer experience. In addition, developing quality control processes allows your business to operate without your daily presence, so expanding to new locations, delegating responsibilities and even selling your business when the time comes is easier.

Business growth requires paying careful attention to dollars and people, and quality control helps ensure you’re monitoring both. If your products or services are of poor quality, you’ll spend a lot of time and money redoing them, cutting your profit margins. If customers aren’t happy with the quality of your products and services, they’ll stop doing business with you. As word spreads, you’ll gain a reputation for poor quality, making it harder to attract and keep customers and employees.

How to Implement Quality Control

There are numerous methods to design and implement a quality control process in your company. To simplify, we’ve laid it out in five basic steps.

Start by defining the quality standards that you need to control and improve. In some industries, many quality standards are determined by a regulatory agency. For example, quality control begins with food suppliers in the food industry. However, restaurant owners also have quality control standards to maintain, including responsibilities for kitchen cleanliness, food preparation and storage, and staff training.

No matter the type of business, each department (sales, accounting, customer service) has its own quality control processes to implement. For example, do you expect all calls to be answered by the second ring? How quickly should social media inquiries be answered? And so on.

If you’re just starting, focus on the most critical measures affecting your profits and customer experience. You can get results quickly and keep you and your team from becoming overwhelmed.

Once you’ve developed quality standards, it’s time to train your team to implement the processes. Quality control specifics should be documented in readily-available formats, including an old- fashioned paper version and a digital format that can be accessed from anywhere. A paper version can be helpful since not all employees may have access to a computer if they’re on the spot with a customer.

Quality standards should be taught throughout an employee’s onboarding, and continued training should be carried out throughout their tenure. However, it’s essential to listen to employee reactions. They are your frontline and know if a process needs tweaking or won’t work. Use visuals in training materials as much as possible to clarify what is expected at each stage.

No matter how careful you believe your team is, some quality control processes are inherently at risk for human error. Automation reduces mistakes in quality control workflows and consequently increases production. Automation in manufacturing is critical for quality control, but it can also be beneficial in many other types of businesses.

Automation is vital for quality control in sales, for example. Sales teams rely on having the most current information available to show customers. So requiring each salesperson to follow the same processes will help customers get better service. In retail, point-of-sale software decreases pricing mistakes and improves inventory control standards.

We all know that customers care about quality, but not enough businesses let their customers know the company has quality control processes. Small businesses can significantly benefit from including a quality control message in their marketing to reassure customers that their company is just as good (or better) than larger, more well-known businesses.

If you market your business as one that cares about quality standards, show it across your marketing platforms. For example, a disorganized website or misspellings in social media posts says your company does not care about quality. Use high-resolution photos and a professional copywriter to ensure your marketing reflects your commitment to quality.

Using phrases such as “We care about quality” may seem trivial, but it also encourages feedback, which is vital to the quality control process.

Soliciting customer feedback is the next step in implementing quality control in your company. Whether customers fill out follow-up surveys in person or on your website, feedback is crucial to help further address quality control. Feedback provides valuable insight into how your quality control processes are improving or hurting customer relations. Also, check Google, Yelp and other review site ratings to see what customers say about your business.

Automation can help you review many of your quality control processes in other areas of your business. For example, did you experience a jump in the number of clients serviced after you eliminated some unnecessary steps? What about financial control improvements? Did expense reimbursements lessen once you made it mandatory for your sales team to provide receipts for each expenditure?

If you’re unsure if your quality control processes are working and want to narrow your focus to areas still needing improvement, consider hiring an auditor to conduct a quality control audit of your company. An unbiased third party can review all your processes and give you a detailed look at areas where you excel and where you need improvement.

The Final Step

Once you receive feedback on your quality control processes from employees, customers, and the automated data, it’s time to make improvements. No matter how well your operations are running, quality control typically shows the areas that need improvement and how small changes can pay off significantly.

Need some help in setting up quality control processes for your business? Set up a free meeting with a SCORE mentor to help you design and implement quality control standards today.

The 5 Stages of Delegation to Energize Your Business Growth In this webinar, you will learn how to regain work balance, create freedom and grow your business by delegating your workload and focusing on key tasks.

What to Include in Your Operations Handbook If you’re away from your business, your employees need to run the company without you. Your operations handbook should enable them to handle any situation that arises. Download this checklist to help you create your operations handbook.

Strategically and Successfully Grow Your Small Business This session will provide you with key aspects you should consider that will assure you have everything covered as you develop a plan for growth.

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

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• Quality Control: Understanding Its Importance, Benefits, Approaches and Key Strategies

** Unlock Your Full Potential **

Maintaining high-quality products and services is crucial for success in today's competitive business environment. Quality control (QC) plays a critical role in ensuring that your company consistently meets customer expectations and regulatory requirements. This comprehensive guide will explore the importance of quality control, its benefits, and key strategies, with industry examples to illustrate its practical applications.

What is Quality Control?

Quality control refers to the systematic process of identifying, monitoring and correcting potential defects or deviations in products or services. This process ensures that the final output meets the established quality standards and customer requirements. QC is an essential part of the overall quality management system ( QMS ) and involves regular inspections, testing, and monitoring of various production stages.

ISO 9001:2015 defines Quality Control as “a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements.” It includes activities such as the inspection and testing of incoming raw materials, in-process products, and finished goods.

History of Quality Control

Quality control has evolved over time to keep pace with the increasing complexity and scale of production processes. Let's take a brief look at the key milestones in the history of quality control:

Craftsmanship Era (Pre-Industrial Revolution): Before the Industrial Revolution, craftsmen were responsible for producing goods and often had a personal relationship with their customers. Quality was maintained by the craftsman's reputation, skill, and pride in their work.

Industrial Revolution (Late 18th Century to Mid-19th Century): With the advent of mass production, the responsibility for quality control shifted from individual craftsmen to factory managers. Inspectors were employed to identify and segregate defective products, but the focus was on finding and fixing defects rather than preventing them.

Scientific Management (Early 20th Century): The introduction of scientific management principles by Frederick Winslow Taylor marked a significant shift in quality control. Taylor's ideas laid the groundwork for more systematic and data-driven approaches to managing production processes, paving the way for modern quality control methods.

Statistical Quality Control (Mid-20th Century): Walter A. Shewhart introduced the concept of statistical process control ( SPC ) in the 1920s. SPC allowed manufacturers to monitor and control production processes using statistical methods, enabling them to detect and correct defects more efficiently. During World War II, the U.S. military adopted statistical quality control techniques to improve the production of munitions and other equipment.

Total Quality Management (Post-WWII): After World War II, quality management pioneers such as W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran helped spread the concept of Total Quality Management ( TQM ). TQM emphasized continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee involvement, transforming how companies approached quality control.

ISO 9001 and Modern Quality Control (Late 20th Century to Present): In 1987, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced the ISO 9000 quality management standards, including ISO 9001 . These standards provided a global framework for implementing effective quality management systems. Today, quality has evolved to encompass a wide range of methodologies and tools, such as Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, helping businesses achieve higher levels of quality and efficiency.

The history of quality control shows how the concept has evolved and adapted to the changing needs of production processes and market demands. Understanding this history can help businesses appreciate the value of quality control and implement more effective systems to ensure long-term success.

Benefits and Importance of Quality Control

• Customer Satisfaction: Consistently delivering high-quality products and services helps build customer trust and loyalty, increasing the likelihood of repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
• Regulatory Compliance: QC processes help companies adhere to industry-specific regulations and standards, preventing costly fines or sanctions.
• Brand Reputation: A strong commitment to quality control enhances a company's reputation for producing reliable, high-quality products or services.
• Cost Savings: Identifying and correcting defects early in production minimizes waste and reduces the need for expensive rework or recalls.
• Competitive Advantage: Companies with robust QC systems are better positioned to differentiate themselves from competitors and capture market share.

Key Strategies for Effective Quality Control

• Establish Clear Quality Standards: Define and communicate the specific quality criteria for each product or service, ensuring all team members understand the expectations.
• Implement Regular Inspections and Testing: Conduct routine checks at various stages of production to identify defects and deviations from quality standards.
• Invest in Employee Training: Provide ongoing training to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to maintain high-quality standards.
• Utilize Statistical Process Control ( SPC ): SPC techniques can help identify trends and patterns in production data, enabling companies to predict and prevent quality issues.
• Embrace Continuous Improvement: Encourage a culture that values ongoing learning and improvement and proactively empowers employees to identify and address quality concerns.

Quality Control Approaches

Different industries and organizations may adopt various approaches to quality, depending on their specific needs and goals. Some popular QC methodologies include:

• Total Quality Management ( TQM ): A holistic approach to quality management focuses on continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee involvement. It aims to integrate quality principles into all aspects of a company's operations.
• Six Sigma: Six Sigma is a data-driven quality management methodology seeking to reduce defects and process variation. The goal is to achieve a defect rate of 3.4 per million opportunities, ensuring near-perfect quality.
• Lean Manufacturing: Lean focuses on eliminating waste and optimizing processes to deliver maximum value to customers. Although not explicitly a quality control approach, Lean principles can significantly contribute to improving product quality by enhancing efficiency and reducing defects.
• ISO 9001 : This international standard sets out the criteria for a quality management system . Achieving ISO 9001 certification demonstrates a company's commitment to maintaining consistent quality standards and continuously improving its processes.

Conclusion:

Quality control plays a crucial role in ensuring that businesses deliver high-quality products and services, meeting customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Companies can develop and implement effective QC systems that contribute to long-term success by understanding its importance, benefits, and key strategies.

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Quality Control Plan

Quality is important to any company that wants to do business. I mean no one would love to use a mobile phone that breaks within the year, right? Or how about a newly constructed building that’s already showing signs of being torn down? You wouldn’t like it at all. That’s why if ever you need an exceptional Quality Control Plan , we created this collection of Quality Control Plans that can surely help you thwart any of these uncertainties in the business. However, we’re not only providing you with a set of samples that you can use quick, but also an exceptional guide that you can use to expedite your creation process. Check it out below.

10+ Quality Control Plan Examples

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What is a Quality Control Plan?

A quality control plan is a type of document that showcases the procedures and methods in ensuring that the products and services provided by the company are well within the expectations of the market. However, in the construction industry, this inspection may happen after the construction itself and hence ensures that the quality of the work written in the contract is upheld.

What are the four main elements of quality?

Whether you like it or not, quality control is only one of the four elements of quality. These four are the main components that boost quality management in any company. Although these four have different methods and styles they still exist to ensure quality in the product or service of the company. The four elements are listed below for you.

• Quality Planning

Quality Planning goes first. This first element creates the standard for which both the Quality Assurance and Quality Control are being done. This phase of the quality workflow creates the methods and processes to determine the quality of the product or the service provided.

• Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance focuses on making sure that nothing can ever disrupt the manufacturing, construction, production, or fulfillment of the product or service. Usually, companies determine quality assurance by providing training, resources, and other support to the workforce. In this way, the workforce can do their job properly and lessen any mistakes that can destroy quality.

• Quality Control

If Quality Assurance creates the path and ensures it is safe for passage, Quality Control is particular with the release of the product or the finishing of a construction. They can do this by creating inspections and testings on the product or service is done.

• Quality Improvement

The last element in the list is Quality Improvement that creates a new standard for the product or service. They create better standards that Quality Planning can check to enforce in both Quality Assurance and Quality Control. In this way, the company’s quality performance goes up and will never become stagnant.

How to Create a Quality Control Plan

Quality Control is one of the many important aspects of the current world’s corporate standards. ISO 9001 or any ISO Certification, for example, could dictate the prestige of your company and could even open better opportunities since people are used to quality-work and sought to desire better, always. That’s why, if you’re a startup company, it pays to start creating and implementing a quality standard so that your team will be used to providing the best quality to the people. For your information, we provided the steps below so you can create a Quality Control Plan yourself.

Step 1: Create an Organizational Chart

Having an organizational chart with a specific job description can help you gauge the quality of your products already. Remember to put the right person on the job. Without the right person for the job, you might end up losing too much. Imagine putting an electrical engineer in a janitorial job. Not only does this hinder better productivity in your workforce but it also makes the engineer feeling neglected and unappreciated.

Step 2: Work With Quality Assurance

Depending on the methods of those individuals doing Quality Assurance, your team could have the same reflection. So make sure that you work with everyone that concerns about the quality before creating your plan. In this way, you can be sure that your plan will follow the right method.

Step 3: Create an Executive Summary

Since this is a plan an executive summary is always important. People love executives for a reason and that reason is that they won’t spend so much time working, so make sure that you allow that to them. You can also include your plans within the executive summary if you feel like it.

Step 4: Push for Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance and Quality Control should work together, so they can surely improve the whole quality standard of the office or company. Even though you are only holding a project, it will count as your experience, so make sure to do it well.

What are the methods of quality control?

Quality Control is important to a company. However, it only has two methods. These two are listed below: 1. Inspection 2. Statistical Quality Control

What is the QC Process?

The QC process or a quality control process is the method in which companies ensure that not a single defective product can get out from their factories. They do these by using the two methods of quality control namely Inspection and Statistical Quality Control.

What is the difference between QA and QC?

There is only a minute difference between QA and QC. Quality Control focuses on the exit while Quality Assurance focuses on the start point. However, what both of them demand is a standardized product or service.

In today’s world, there is no such thing as a simple project. A simple construction project can take much money as you need to hire the contractor, get an architect to make a design, and other things. However, all of these things support quality. These things also ensure that the automotive parts you are using for your car or that wedding dress your wife’s going to wear are top-quality products that will create lasting memories. Hooray for quality.

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What Is Quality Planning & Why Is It Important?

Projects are successful when they end on time and within budget. But if you don’t meet the quality expectations of your stakeholders, it doesn’t matter how fast you delivered—you failed.

To avoid this, focus on quality planning. Create a quality plan before you start your project to consistently meet the expectations of your stakeholders.

What Is Quality Planning?

Quality planning is the method of deciding what’s most important to the project. This occurs during the planning stage, where you determine the critical factors for a successful project. This includes the resources needed to deliver the project, what steps to take and specifications that have to be met.

The quality plan itself includes:

• Roles and responsibilities
• Applied standards
• Metrics to measure quality

Project management software can save these documents and set milestones in your project plan to make sure you meet benchmarks. ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart can organize your quality planning and measure your progress in real time. Try ProjectManager free today!

Why Is Quality Planning Important?

Quality planning is important because neglecting quality makes it harder to deliver a successful project. Before the execution of the project, the project manager sets the standards to meet in order to qualify the project as a success.

Not only does the project manager define the standards for success, but also the steps necessary to meet those standards. That’s why quality planning is part of the overall project planning phase; it also impacts other areas of the plan, such as costs, scheduling, etc. Without taking this extra step when planning a project, you increase the risk that your stakeholder will not be satisfied with the final deliverable.

A project manager also needs to determine the scope of what will be measured, and the metrics to measure. That quality assurance includes audits, testing, peer review and other measures. All of this requires interviewing stakeholders to understand what their expectations are.

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Quality Control Template

Use this free Quality Control Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

Who Benefits from Quality Planning?

The short answer is that everyone benefits from quality planning. If you don’t understand and meet stakeholder expectations, they’re not going to be happy—and unhappy stakeholders mean the project has failed. That’s a lot of time, money and effort wasted.

Certainly, stakeholders benefit from quality planning. They’re the ones who are invested in the success of the project. But the project manager and project team also benefit from quality planning, because there’s less reworking, higher productivity and more efficiency when following a quality plan.

Last but not least, the customer or end-user benefits from quality planning. You design your product for the end-user or customer. If they’re not satisfied, you’re not only going to have a failed project on your hands but a tarnished brand.

How to Make a Quality Management Plan

You use a project quality management plan to document all the necessary information to manage the quality of a project . This includes the policies, procedures, criteria, roles and responsibilities. You create it during the planning phase for the project team and stakeholders.

• Determine what is meant by “quality” within the project: This involves discussions with the team to come up with a shared understanding of the acceptable level of quality. Detail this as specifically as possible to avoid confusion during the project. In effect, you create a quality baseline.
• Conduct a gap analysis: Here, you identify the gap between where you are and where you need to be. This leads to the creation of a quality team, which is comprised of people across all departments and levels.
• Define the roles and responsibilities for quality management: These people are accountable for each step in the quality management plan.
• Establish Quality Control Procedures: Once you’ve defined what your quality standards are, you’ll need to establish procedures to measure whether those standards are being met or not, which is known as quality control .
• Create acceptance criteria: This is tied to how you’ll do testing and review. Once you identify weaknesses, brainstorm with your team and integrate the needed quality improvements to your product or service.

Things to Avoid When Quality Planning

Quality planning is an ongoing process. Reviewing and revising the quality plan throughout the project is essential to ensure it remains effective. Sometimes people create a plan and feel as if it’s chiseled in stone, but it’s better to think of it as a dry-erase board.

You might want to make major changes throughout the project. Maybe these changes are necessary, but such big steps are best done in smaller increments. Take small steps that lead to a larger change, as it’ll help see if you’re going in the right direction. If they’re not, it’s easier to fix a small change than a larger one.

Most of all, stay objective. It’s easy to scapegoat an individual and lay the entirety of the blame at their feet. Before you do, step back and look at the whole picture. Having a clear head and putting things in context will let you avoid stigmatizing your team and leads to better overall quality.

Once you have a quality management plan, you’re ready to manage the quality of your project. This free quality control template for Excel will help you inspect your products or deliverables and log any quality issues that are found along with other quality control information such as the date when the issue was found, who found the issue, who will be assigned to fix it and the date when the issue is expected to be fixed.

How ProjectManager Can Help With Quality Planning

Quality planning is only the start. You need to execute that planning effectively and monitor the project to catch issues and address them. ProjectManager is cloud-based software that delivers real-time data to help you meet your quality baseline.

Create Quality Plans on Gantt Charts

Before you can monitor your project, you have to have a plan to execute it. ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart helps you schedule the entire project, including quality planning. You can set up quality targets, assign them to your team, which can work together better on our collaborative platform.

Monitor and Track Your Project’s Status

Monitor the project for quality control in real-time with dashboards. Unlike lightweight software that makes the user configure the dashboard, ours are installed and ready to go from the start. You get a high-level view of progress and performance to manage any issues and resolve them before they impact the project.

Create Instant Status Reports for Stakeholders

Stakeholders want to stay informed. ProjectManager’s one-click reporting features let you filter data for a deeper, more targeted look at progress and performance. Generate reports on project and portfolio status, time, costs and more. Then, easily share the reports with stakeholders to keep them in the loop.

ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes, plans and monitors quality planning. Our robust feature set helps you manage the project from initiation to close while helping teams collaborate no matter where they work. Manage your budget, timeline and resources to deliver on schedule, under budget and meeting quality expectations by trying ProjectManager for free today.

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Main Components of a Quality Control Plan (QCP)

The quality control plan should be divided into five sections:

• Procurement

Each section should include subsections for the following:

– General information on the section

– The responsibilities of each staff member involved in that section of construction, including what tools and equipment they will need to perform their job

– A description of the specific steps each staff member must follow when carrying out their tasks

– An explanation of how the section will be tested

– The delivery process

Planning Section of Quality Control Plan

The planning section of the quality control plan should include:

– A description of the product/service being produced or constructed.

– The requirements for the product, including any specific standards that must be met.

– The production/construction schedule, including when each step of the project is scheduled to take place.

– A list of all equipment and tools that will be needed to finish the project or construct the product, including any special materials required for each part of the project.

– The name of the person responsible for completing each task in this section of the quality control plan

Procurement Section of Quality Control Plan

The procurement section should include:

– An explanation of how supplies will be obtained and delivered to the construction site

– A list of all suppliers and subcontractors involved in the project, as well as their contact information

– The specifications for each type of material or equipment to be procured, including the brand name, model number and dimensions

– The delivery schedule for each type of material or equipment

Production Section of Quality Control Plan

The production section should include:

– A list of all tasks that must be completed to finish the project or construct the product , as well as which staff members are responsible for each task

– A description of each step required to complete a task and any specific requirements or tools needed for the steps, such as prefabrication and prefitting.

– The order in which the tasks must be completed.

– A list of deadlines for each step in the project and whether or not any delays would be permitted.

Testing Section of Quality Control Plan

The testing section should include:

– The method for testing that will be used to ensure that the product meets its specifications, such as a checklist that all staff members must complete before they sign off on the completed product

– The means by which any problems found during testing will be communicated to all staff members responsible for that section of the project

Delivery Section of Quality Control Plan

The delivery section should include:

– A list of procedures that must be followed when notifying clients about delays or other changes in plans, as well as who is responsible for completing each task

– The schedule for notifying the client about any changes in plans, as well as who is responsible for completing each task

– Exactly how the finished product will be shipped to its destination

Page Layout of a Quality Control Plan (QCP) Document

8.5″ (wide) X 11″ (long) is the most commonly used document size. Since that’s the standard paper size used by most printers, it’s also easier to print a QCP with those dimensions.

PAGE MARGINS

Leave a 1″ margin all around your page.

I prefer a single-column format, with perhaps a 1″ left-sidebar for aesthetic effect and for any icons or explanatory notes to accompany the text .

Separated from the main body of text by a horizontal rule: “Quality Control Plan by [company name] for [contract name] [contract number], Page Number”

Separated from the main body of text by a horizontal rule: “Proprietary and Confidential, Month-Year”

Main Structural Parts of a Quality Control Plan (QCP) Document

A QCP in general consists of the following structural parts:

FRONT COVER

Table of contents, section 1. purpose, section 2. authority, section 3. contractor representatives.

• Section 4. SUBCONTRACTORS
• Section 5. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE
• Section 6. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
• Section 7. DESCRIPTION OF DELIVERABLES
• Section 8. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE
• Section 9. PERFORMANCE RATINGS
• APPENDIX A – PERFORMANCE REPORT
• APPENDIX B – CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT
• APPENDIX C – CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

We’ll explain each of these structural parts and provide an example as well.

Include the following components:

The TITLE “QUALITY CONTROL PLAN”.

Contract Number.  For example: “For DOD CONTRACT #JU9967-978-A-1234”

Contract Title . For example: “Washington Traffic Control Camera Center”

The Month and Year in which the QCP was prepared. For example: “August 2009”.

SUMMARY BLOCK

This block, preferably separated from the other visual elements of the Cover Page by rules, consists of the following components:

Contract Title (repeat from above)

Contract Number (repeat from above)

Contract Description: Describe the GOAL of the contract and what you are trying to achieve as a contract. Two or three sentences are sufficient.

For example:

Contractor’s Name: The name of your (Contractor) company.

For example: “Capital Contractors Inc. – hereafter referred to as the “Contractor”.”

The Name, Address, Contact and Web information of the contracting company.

” Capital Contractors Inc.

123 Main Street, Main City, State, 10001

Phone: (123) 555-1212

Fax: (123) 555-3434

Email: [email protected] ”

Make sure to include a Table of Contents at the beginning of your document for easy navigation through the QCP.

State the purpose of the contract proposal , followed by a brief bird’s eye view at what’s ahead.

“This Quality Control Plan (QCP) is developed by the Contractor to make sure that systematic quality assurance methods are used in the installation, configuration, and maintenance of the HD Traffic Control Cameras and the administration of the related Performance Based Service Contract (PBSC) standards included in this contract.”

“This QCP describes how the contractor will perform in accordance with performance metrics set forth in the contract documents , and make sure that the Government receives the quality of services called for in the contract.”

“This QCP explains the following:

• Who will deliver the contracted service? (Sections 3, 4)
• How will the Quality Control (QC) surveillance take place? (Section 5)
• What will QC be monitored? (Sections 6, 7)
• How will the QC surveillance efforts and results be documented and rated? (Sections 8, 9)”

Explain in which section the “authority” to prepare this QCP is included.

” The authority for preparing this QCP is provided under Section E – Inspection and Acceptance of the PWS (Performance Work Statement) document, which provides for inspections and acceptance of the articles, services, and documentation called for in task orders to be accomplished by the Contracting Officer or his duly authorized representative.”

Provides the Position, Name, and Contact Info of all the company representatives who will work on the contract and will represent the Contractor.

” a. Program Manager

Dr. John Smith

[Telephone] [E-mail]

b. Hardware and Installation Manager

Melanie Manager

c. Other Contract Officials

Subramanyam Gopal

James White

S ection 4. SUBCONTRACTORS

This section can be written in three different ways:

• The Contractor delivers everything by its own resources and uses no subcontractors.
• The Contractor uses subcontractors and lists their names, and perhaps even their qualifications.
• The Contractor uses subcontractors but stops short of providing any concrete information about their identity.

I personally would recommend either the first option (if there are no subcontractors) or the third option (if there are any).

REMEMBER: providing more information than necessary more often than not leads to new questions or even problems. If you are not specifically asked to provide detailed information on your subcontractors, don’t.

For example (no subcontractors):

“The Contactor has the organizational structure, experience and ability to deliver this project by using its own resources, without any subcontractors.”

Or (subcontractors):

The Contractor has the organizational structure and ability to augment its key staff quickly to meet the dynamic requirements of any project . When there is a need to pull in additional human resources into the workflow, the Contractor utilizes its in-place pool of qualified subcontractors to make sure that all QC standards are met without any compromise and always on time.”

Section 5. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE (QASP)

This is an important component of any QCP document since it presents the methods with which Quality Assurance (QA) will be guaranteed.

You need to be very clear about such methods. I recommend you brainstorm all possible “surveillance methods” with project principals and draw up a list. Then provide details about each method.

For example, let’s say you’ll use CUSTOMER FEEDBACK as a QA Surveillance Method. It’s not enough to mention this method and leave it at that. You also need to be clear about details like what constitutes a “feedback”, how you will gather it, and who will handle it.

“The Contractor will use the surveillance methods listed below to administer the QASP (Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan):

Customer Feedback

• This will be obtained either from the results of formal customer satisfaction surveys (see Appendix C) or from random customer complaints.
• Customer complaints, to be considered valid, must set forth clearly and in writing the detailed nature of the complaint, must be signed and forwarded to the Program Manager.
• The Program Manager will maintain a summary log of all formally received customer complaints as well as a copy of each complaint in a documentation file.
• The Program Manager will also keep the tabulated results of all customer satisfaction surveys (see Appendix C) on file and shall enter the summary results into the Surveillance Activity Checklist.”

Other QA Surveillance Methods

Here are some other QA surveillance methods you may include in this section:

“100% Inspection

• This level of inspection will be accomplished by automated monitoring and documentation features built into the [application name] software package.
• Each month, the Project Manager, or if so designated the appropriate Technical Monitor, will review the generated documentation and enter summary results into the Surveillance Activity Checklist .

Periodic Inspection

• Periodic inspections will be conducted if and when specified in individual task orders.
• For the potential tasks that have been identified in the QASP, the appropriate Technical Monitor will perform the periodic inspection on a monthly basis.

Random Monitoring

• Random monitoring will be conducted if and when specified in individual task orders.
• For the potential tasks that have been identified in the QASP, the random monitoring will be performed by the Project Manager or COR.
• Regardless of the surveillance method, the Contractor shall always contact the contractor’s Task Manager or on-site representative when a defect is identified and inform the manager of the specifics of the problem.”

Section 6. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (PWS)

This is also an important section since it defines criteria by which the Contractor’s performance will be evaluated by the Government department or agency in question.

This section should be prepared after examining the Performance Work Statement (PWS) issued by the Government agency.

PWS document contains a Performance Requirements Summary Matrix which specifies what kind of performance is expected from the Contractor.

This section is a “reply” to the “questions” posed by the PWS. The Government specifies what kind of performance is expected from the Contractor in PWS.

The Contractor affirms that it’s going to satisfy those performance expectations by including a SURVEILLANCE METHOD column by which the performance goals will be verified.

The Government uses this section to determine if the service provided by the Contractor meets its specific Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) criteria or not. Without this section, such a determination would not be possible. Thus it pays to be careful when completing the Performance Requirements Summary Matrix (which is a table) in this section.

Performance Requirements Summary Matrix

Here are two samples :.

  Table 1 – Performance Requirements Summary Matrix, SAMPLE 1

Table 2 – Performance Requirements Summary Matrix, SAMPLE 2

Don’t forget: these are just samples.  Modify them in any way that’s necessary to comply with the specific PWS in question.

(Continues in Part 2)

Wikipedia Commons Image Credits:

• Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6390260, via Wikipedia
• CV Duta Perdana, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Coyau / Wikimedia Commons
• Ionessi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

About Ugur Akinci

[…] How to Write a Quality Control Plan (QCP) […]

To whom it may concern; I am studying Civil Engineering in civil engineering department of Kabul University and it is my last year. I want to prepare a “price proposal” and “technical proposal” sample as my practical period report but I can’t prepare the tabs, factors and sub factors like project management plan, afghan development program, project milestones, construction quality control, contractors quality control plan etc. although I have the training slides with myself. If you have a soft copy of the prepared proposals of a registered construction company that project is already finished please send it to me. Thank you in anticipation Ahmad

Salam I am looking for a certified civil engineer who is able to write a technical proposal for construction projects, experience is mandatory. If you know anyone please contact me on 078 935 3884 Basir. Many thanks

i have a construction company in Afghanistan so i want to to write RFP and QCP to US Goverment can you help me

Rasool, thanks for reading TCC. Check out these posts: https://technicalcommunicationcenter.com2009/09/24/how-to-write-a-qcp-quality-control-plan/ https://technicalcommunicationcenter.com2011/06/13/proposal-planning-and-writing-for-an-rfp/ Regards, Ugur

Right here is the right blog for anyone who wants to understand this topic. You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic which has been discussed for a long time. Great stuff, just great!

Quality Management Business Plan Sample

The quality management services market is expanding rapidly.  With the adoption of ISO 9001, small businesses are focused on receiving certification in order to win major contracts.  Our quality management business plan writers have developed this business plan sample.  Whether you are new in quality management, or an experienced quality management consultant, demand is growing in the private and public sectors.

Executive Summary

QualTech provides quality management services to small and medium-sized businesses. In today’s age there is heightened regulatory scrutiny, safety regulations, and internal quality assurance requirements for every enterprise.  Organizations are managing growth, while navigating  the aforementioned hurdles. QualTech – Quality Management Operating System (herein also referred to as “the company”) is a centralized quality management services business, which brings organizations together to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

With increased competition, market leaders stand out through the development of internal systems, processes and receiving recognition of ISO 9001 (the International Standards Organization – Quality Management System). It’s one thing for an enterprise to be awarded the ISO 9001 Certification, and it is another to maintain the accreditation overtime. QualTech  has been developed around ISO 9001, helping companies receive and maintain this vital certification.

QualTech’s system provides consistent, real-time access to standard business modules including document management, training, events, reports, and user management. Additionally, there are fully customizable components available with regards to production and services. Once implemented, QualTech  provides a large market value, and is easily adjustable to assure compliance with all ISO criteria.

The global Quality Management Software (QMS) Market was valued at USD $8.25 Billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% to 2028. Throughout a series of industries there is growing importance for customer-centric production, frequent changes in regulations, as well as standards that demand recurring compliance. These trends increase the demand for businesses to have a functional QMS system, where cross departmental communication can take place with ease.

QualTech offers unique products differentiating it from competing products in a variety of ways. Most notably, the product was developed to serve the emerging small to medium-sized business (SMB) segment of the market. Users can customize the QualTech  platform for any specific business case while adhering to the ISO framework.  Our quality management services help SMBs reach new markets.

The company understands the trinity of people, process, and technology which are known to create successful software implementation products. QualTech  will align its efforts with key stakeholder feedback, as well as the ability for the system to be implemented by at least one user immediately.  With much of the target customer base turning to off the shelf QMS solutions from multinationals, the company recognizes an opportunity to penetrate a segment of the market with a more personalized system, QualTech .

With a distinguished management team of four proven executives, QualTech  has the momentum and prowess to capture significant market share upon launch of the Alpha Platform in late 2022.  This business plan outlines the company’s milestones, growth strategy, operational approach, marketing plan, market research analysis, personnel plan and financial forecasts.

Past success can largely be accredited to QualTech ‘ leadership’s relentless pursuit to move the platform ahead and consistently monitor the target customers’ requirements, ISO and competing technologies.  With internal cash flow utilized for initial funding, the Alpha Platform will be developed and the proceeding marketing plan will be launched, moving QualTech  directly into the heart of the quality management software arena.

Business Overview

Through an online platform integrating multiple company functions to carry out compliance-related tasks, QualTech  provides a centralized quality management solution. Leveraging its proprietary technology, change management methodology, and integrations, QualTech  is capable of serving a growing segment of the market,  small to medium-sized businesses.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide leading quality management solutions in America, Europe and South Africa.

Vision Statement

Our vision is a network of businesses compliant with ISO 9001 and regularly developing SOPs .

Core Values

The QualTech team is guided by a set of core values that form the foundation of all business operations and decisions. These core values are as follows:

Operate with professionalism at all times.

QualTech  provides a working environment which embodies and practices professional ethics. We provide continuous training, coaching, and feedback to ensure that our personnel have the tools to be professional at all times.

Deliver efficiency to our customers.

Delivering efficiencies in complying with ISO standards necessitates a certain level of skill. When a customer sees the end result of an engagement, with the positive efficiencies delivered, it puts them in a position to better serve their own market and customer base.

Be accurate and accountable for our decisions.

Compliance requires a certain “exacting nature”. We value accuracy and a commitment to stand accountable in situations where an objective has been derailed.  We have quality standards, code reviews, training, and other mitigation strategies to avoid errors.

Guarantee the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Our investment in customer satisfaction, and success is also exemplified by our offering of 24/7 support. As ISO compliance impacts a range of industries operating on different time zones this helps ensure maximum satisfaction. We take every opportunity to improve our platform.

QualTech  has achieved and is working towards several important milestones. The company is committed to set goals that are then tracked with progress metrics. These objectives are reviewed at regular cadence, as businesses which measure their results are known to realize greater outcomes.

Key Technologies

QualTech  has developed a solution which holistically improves quality management adherence for ISO standards. It also integrates and functions with existing processes to ensure a smooth transition and change management process. The company is providing a future proof solution which has the potential to provide support for other international standards as well. Nonetheless, the core functionality is centered around this regulation as a way to distinguish the company from competitors, and best serve the target customer base.

Cloud-Hosted Solution

QualTech  uses a cloud-hosted solution to provide customers with a seamless product without on-premise headaches such as managing resources, servers, or other equipment and IT assets. The hosted system is scalable, secure, and redundant to ensure that customers are provided with a 24/7 accessible solution for the most pressing needs. Smooth backup and scaling is important, so the company has partnered with Amazon’s AWS cloud deployment platform as the back-end technology which supports this cloud-first framework.

Quality Management Principles

The company embodies its eight quality management principles which are embedded into the QualTech  platform. The features, interfaces, and other benefits derived from utilizing this solution are a function of the quality management principles central to the industry. QualTech  puts these as a primary benefit to the system, because they are what drives compliance with ISO; therefore, the system sits at the top of great processes and central standards.

A Process Culture

A process culture has shaped the design approach for the company.  Laying a foundation for what organizations actually need today is vital to the technology which QualTech  will offer.  By understanding specific business processes the technology is tailored to any respective organization.  “Process before technology” is a key selling point to the target audience.

Engagement of People

The system enables collaboration of users through a variety of functionalities including file sharing, work orders, and project management. Working through a complex compliance initiative or project requires a matrixed approach and cross-disciplinary team. Therefore, integrating these core features into the technology adds critical value to the end user. Providing a means to work with one another as opposed to lost files from paper-based systems, or confusing meetings, offers a central repository for individuals to work together. Breaking down silos and barriers to reach ISO compliance is the key offering.

Goals and Objectives

The following short, medium and long-term goals have been established:

Market Analysis

The global quality management software market was valued at USD 8.25 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from 2021 to 2028. The growing importance of customer-centric production and frequent changes in regulations and standards that demand recurring compliances are driving the growth of the market. Registration to ISO 90001, ISO 14001, and other international standards has become imperative for organizations to run businesses worldwide as it enables them to meet market demands, competitive pricing, legislative requirements, and satisfy customer needs. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the manufacturing and transport and logistics industries. The suspension of production and trade of various goods and services is expected to affect the QMS market in the short term.

However, individuals across the globe have turned to the internet for online shopping, leading to the rapid growth of the business-to-consumer markets. The volumes of goods being shipped have increased, along with enhancements in the profiles of the goods. In response to this, logistics companies have started fast-tracking their development, quality and safety management standards, and growth strategies with significant investments in e-commerce, assets, and people. Such developments are likely to boost the growth of the quality management software market in the transport and logistics domain over the coming years.

Businesses across the globe are widely recognizing the need for an inclusive QMS to enhance business performance and gain a competitive advantage. They are proactively assessing and investing in QMS solutions to ensure that quality standards are maintained at every stage of the product life cycle. Technological advancements such as cloud computing, analytics, and big data have further enhanced the existing capabilities of QMS in terms of scalability, cost-efficiency, flexibility, and platform independence, among others. As a result, end-use industries such as life sciences, manufacturing, and IT and telecom are rapidly adopting QMS solutions.

QMS solution providers are focused on enhancing sustainability practices to help companies reduce wastes and their carbon footprint. Organizations deploy these solutions to align their processes with standards such as United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce carbon emissions. While QMS solutions offer several benefits to users, they also involve some challenges such as lack of collaboration, and misalignment with the existing IT infrastructure. While vendors have proactively been trying to tackle these issues, the widespread acceptance of cloud-based deployment of QMS is expected to prove beneficial in addressing these challenges across industries and verticals.

The stringent compliance of quality management standards and international technical specifications such as IATF 16949, AS9100 Rev.D, and ISO 9001is expected to increase the implementation of QMS across end-use industries. Moreover, the C-level executives across organizations are taking efforts to align quality management with strategic business objectives. Many organizations are taking advantage of quality management methodologies such as ISO standards and Six Sigma to improve process efficiency, productivity, and eventually customer satisfaction. As a result, quality process automation, supplier quality assurance, and compliance management are anticipated to become the prime focus areas of QMS end users over the coming years.

The complaint handling segment held the largest market share of over 15% in 2020. Effective management of complaints helps in proactively meeting customer expectations and enhancing brand equity. Businesses are adopting standard complaint handling tools and processes to handle customer complaints more effectively and efficiently. These factors are expected to act as fundamental drivers for boosting segment growth. Calibration management solution provides essential connections between related maintenance tasks and additional quality processes for regulated life science and high-tech environments. Such solutions help in increasing the life of machinery and saving the company’s revenue by reducing the number of recalled products. As per Beamex Inc.-a calibration software company-over 75% of companies carry out more than 2,000 calibrations annually in the highly regulated pharmaceuticals sector. QMS’s calibration management solutions can help organizations manage instrument calibration processes and associated documentation to make them more productive and efficient.

The on-premise segment held the largest market share of over 60% in 2020. Many large organizations are shifting from pen and paper-based systems to automated systems owing to the advent of digitalization, which has resulted in the increasing demand for on-premise QMS. Organizations are opting for on-premise QMS as it is more secure and allows easy customization of software as per the client’s business requirements. Hence, it is largely preferred by enterprises demanding high data security. Additionally, rising concerns regarding data theft and loss of sensitive business information over cloud-based platforms are also contributing to the demand for on-premise QMS.

The cloud segment is anticipated to emerge as the fastest-growing segment. Increased scalability and flexibility, security aspects, and control over the data center offered by the cloud technology are some of the prime factors anticipated to boost the cloud segment growth. On the security front, data encryption techniques are widely being adopted to prevent the leak of sensitive QMS data. These encryption techniques serve a great purpose during data transmission and are estimated to drive the growth of the cloud segment.

The large enterprise segment held the largest market share of over 60% in 2020. The reduction in expenses is the primary motivation behind the adoption of QMS among large enterprises. Many QMS vendors have different sets of software suites for large enterprises and small & medium enterprises. These suites are tailored to fit the exact requirements of the clients and, hence, play a vital role in the selection process. The mobility and flexibility offered by QMS are driving their demand among large enterprises, resulting in regular additions of new functionalities to the software. Organizations across the globe use a host of different software and systems and produce large volumes of data. With the ever-increasing data and growing demand for technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, QMS solutions are anticipated to cater to the growing needs of organizations for increasing efficiency and productivity in their operations.

The manufacturing segment held the largest market share of over 20% in 2020. This growth is attributed to the stringent regulations as well as the complex processes and integrated business systems. QMS solutions enable manufacturing industries to enhance quality through continuous improvements to prevent or respond quickly to situations such as product recalls and ensure certification compliance. Furthermore, they help in prioritizing process improvement efforts, comparing production line capability, and ensuring product conformity. Such factors are expected to act as fundamental drivers for segment growth.

QMS is increasingly gaining importance among companies to help meet critical objectives such as compliance with industry regulations, avoidance of potential product liability lawsuits, and customer retention. For instance, QMS helps telecom service providers to support their communication strategy by complying with the highest quality standards, including TL9000 requirements, in the telecommunications products and services. Moreover, vendors are taking into consideration the needs of Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications Forum (QuEST), which promotes continuous improvements in the quality and reliability of telecom products and services. North America dominated the global market with a share of over 40% in 2020. Asia Pacific is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing regional market, which is driven by the growing awareness of standards and quality among emerging economies such as China and India. Moreover, ISO 9000 registration has become a prerequisite in the European Union, Asia Pacific, the U.S., and Canada for conducting trade with companies and government agencies.

Government Regulations

Regulation is at the forefront of quality management software. QualTech  understands the regulatory pressures that companies face from ISO and other international standards. While these can be quite stringent, the company has created a solution for mitigating the effects of legislation. This is true both in client-facing solutions where the company helps guide toward compliance, and internally where QualTech  abides by rules and regulations set forth by regulatory bodies. As a Canadian company, there are both provincial and federal requirements, as well as global regulations which QualTech  must adhere to.

Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

Organizations covered by PIPEDA must generally obtain an individual’s consent when they collect, use or disclose that individual’s personal information. People have the right to access their personal information held by an organization. They also have the right to challenge its accuracy. Personal information can only be used for the purposes for which it was collected. If an organization is going to use it for another purpose, they must obtain consent again. Personal information must be protected by appropriate safeguards. PIPEDA applies to private-sector organizations across Canada that collect, use or disclose personal information in the course of a commercial activity. The law defines a commercial activity as any particular transaction, act, or conduct, or any regular course of conduct that is of a commercial character. All businesses that operate in Canada and handle personal information that crosses provincial or national borders in the course of commercial activities are subject to PIPEDA, regardless of the province or territory in which they are based.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015

ISO 9001 is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 series and the only standard in the series to which organizations can certify. ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international agency composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries.

Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act (PPACA)

In 2010, the PPACA was enacted in North America to provide quality healthcare facilities to comply with quality standards. In addition, in European countries, SaaS providers deploying solutions on cloud-based platforms need to comply with the European Data Protection Directive (Directive 95/46/EC) and General Data Protection Regulation. Moreover, European Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) to replace the Medical Device Directive in 2020 requires medical companies to meet requirements such as device classification and  their QMS.

Market Trends

There is a major opportunity to help companies reach and maintain ISO 9001 compliance through custom QMS systems. The company evaluates market trends to determine the right mix of marketing campaign tactics, relationships, and partnerships to allocate resources to. By understanding the market, and consequently the buyer, QualTech  positions itself to develop the most relevant product-market fit.

North American and European Markets dominate the global stage

North America was the clear winner in the global market with a share of over 40% in 2020. The Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act (PPACA), 2010, was enacted in North America to require quality healthcare facilities and compliance with certain standards. Meanwhile, in Europe, SaaS companies developing solutions on cloud-based platforms must comply with the European Data Protection Directive (Directive 95/46/EC) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR), has replaced the Medical Device Directive in 2020, requiring medical companies to meet requirements such as device classification and updating QMS.

Asian-Pacific Markets emerge with the fastest growth

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is anticipated to become the fastest growing regional market, which is driven by the awareness of standards and quality among emerging economies, including China and India. Additionally, ISO 9000 registration has become a prerequisite in the European Union, Asia Pacific, the United States, and Canada for conducting trade with companies and government agencies. These factors are driving growth and investment into the APAC region for companies seeking to break ground into the QMS industry.

Strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) creates access

Mergers and acquisitions, as well as partnerships, are expected to be the most effective ways for market players to gain early access into emerging markets. For example, in December 2020, Honeywell International Inc., a provider of industry-specific solutions for aerospace and automotive products, agreed to acquire Sparta Systems Inc. to expand its software and life science capabilities. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to forge its competencies in digital transformation solutions, industrial automation, and enterprise performance management software.

Upgrades and differentiation create expansion opportunities

Furthermore, upgrades and product differentiation are anticipated to pave the way for the expansion of companies in the market. For instance, in August 2020, MasterControl, Inc. launched its new solution, MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence, to improve manufacturing operations by driving efficiencies and increased quality. The new solution would enable manufacturers to create dynamic connections among enterprise systems, processes, data sources, and people for a holistic view of production and quality data.

Competitive Analysis

This competitive analysis reviews the company’s primary and secondary competitors. The purpose is to align QualTech  with the best players in the market while finding its niche, unique selling points, and value proposition. The QMS market is ripe for new offerings. Delivering quality management software requires a thorough understanding of current products, and the ever evolving needs of the target customer.

Primary Competitor 1: MasterControl

U.S.-based, MasterControl produces a digital quality management software which automates quality through the entire life cycle of the process. In 2021, the company reported $100 Million in annual recurring revenue making it a middle-market player. MasterControl focuses on streamlining processes as well as moving from paper-based to a digitized QMS system. With its middle-market stature, and industry focus in areas such as manufacturing and the clinical supply chain, MasterControl is positioned as a niche player. For QualTech , this presents an opportunity to continue focusing on the SMB segment of the market.

Primary Competitor 2: Sparta Systems

In December 2020, Honeywell announced that it had agreed to acquire Sparta Systems for $1.3 Billion in an all-cash transaction. This Honeywell deal demonstrates the value of the market and the potential for QualTech  to achieve “Unicorn” status (a technology company with a $1 Billion+ valuation). In this case, Sparta focuses on the life sciences industry and the focus of the acquisition was to improve Honeywell’s industrial automation, digital transformation, and enterprise performance management capabilities. Sparta and Honeywell introduced integrated solutions beyond QMS, meanwhile leveraging Sparta IP and TrackWise Digital.

Secondary Competitor 1: Intellect

Los Angeles-based Intellect is another peer-level competitor with $11.4 Million in sales as of 2020. The firm touts a user-friendly, no-code development platform with several industry solutions. Their QMS provides businesses the power to grow and establish a culture of innovation, quality, and compliance with a more user-focused approach. While QMS naturally deals with complex topics and compliance areas, Intellect is seeking to disrupt the eQMS market with a solution that focuses on user experience. From a technology perspective, QualTech  looks to Intellect as a peer-level company with a position to deliver value in a user-friendly manner.

Secondary Competitor 2: QT9

Illinois-based QT9 is another peer level competitor that generated $5 million in revenue during its past fiscal year. Currently, this competitor touts 100+ products, as well as 550 customers. One of its other areas of focus beyond ISO compliance is with the FDA, specifically 21 CFR. With a different customer base focus in “U.S. Food and Beverage”, and geographic area than QualTech , this is a peer-level company which will continue to be analyzed overtime.

Products and Services

QualTech  is a cloud-based quality management system, which bridges compliance to ISO frameworks. As such, the product offers an alternative to traditional on-premise solutions, meanwhile offering the flexibility to scale with business growth. This is a customizable system for virtually any business, however the primary focus is on SMBs. Beginning with core modules that most businesses require, the software is customizable to meet both corporate and ISO requirements. These benefits, features, integrations, and interfaces were developed with specific consideration to ISO 9001. QualTech  offers a new level to corporate process automation which has incorporated comprehensive procedures, training, and reporting functionalities. The result is a QMS system capable of scale and benefit from the growth of ISO 9001 certification.

Pricing Model

QualTech  will be distributed with its core functionality available as a software as a service (SaaS) model. This is a key aspect to the company’s pricing model, as it enables businesses to use and test the software with low adoption efforts and minimal costs required. Flexibility and ease of adoption are major factors that will lead to increased user subscriptions, and as such SaaS has become popular throughout the QMS market.

Unique Selling Proposition

Our unique selling proposition is our focus on providing quality management services to startups and SMBs.

Key Success Factors

The QualTech  approach to continuous improvement is rooted in defining a client’s specific needs and goals. The company understands that no two companies are the same. A customized approach enables clients to succeed more effectively, while an initial onboarding process for one user provides the necessary data to do so. Success in QMS is based on an unconditional commitment and focus on transforming business goals into market reality.

The QualTech  Founders possess years of experience working closely with experts in the software industry, while the scale for the company’s product will continue to grow with opportunities to receive large volumes of contracts from corporations. These key success factors (KSFs) are a function of the goals and objectives QualTech  has  established. By naming these KSFs, it commits the company to a regular touchpoint for ensuring that it is delivering on its promise.

The company is dedicated to ensure:

• Customer satisfaction at 95%
• Implement guidelines for fast 24/7 response
• QualTech location is in an economically vibrant area where businesses are starting at a fast rate
• Building and maintaining a reputation for excellence within the industry
• Ensuring platform safety from cybercriminals

Sales and Marketing Plan

QualTech  has developed a five year sales and marketing plan which incorporates three stages of growth; go-to-market, product adoption and market dominance. Included in this marketing strategy is a target customer analysis, key channels, sales funnel, key performance indicators, and a SWOT analysis.  The sales and marketing plan is as follows.

Target Customers

QualTech  will sell to two target customer groups.  The following section describes each target customer, and their unique profiles:

Small to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs)

QualTech  will sell directly to small and medium-sized businesses across Canada and the U.S.A.  Through B2B marketing, the company will reach this target customer and utilize testimonials and product reviews from other small and medium-sized businesses.

• Industries: manufacturing, transportation, IT, healthcare, consumer goods, aerospace
• Employees: 1 – 500
• Gross revenue: $100K – $100M
• Location: Canada / U.S.A.
• Interests: becoming ISO 9001 certified and bidding on larger projects
• Experience: has either utilized a competing QMS previously or has done research on them

Key Performance Indicators

KPIs are how businesses measure success against goals, objectives, and key success factors. They provide both a numerical baseline and current performance to measure the variance toward achieving goals. This internal process is crucial to ensure the company is moving forward on fulfilling its mission and vision. In a highly regulated environment, it is imperative to stay goal-oriented and results-focused at all times.

The following KPIs will be utilized to track performance on a month-to-month basis:

• Customer Acquisition Costs
• Customer Lifetime Value
• Qualified Marketing Traffic
• Leads by Pipeline Stage
• Lead to Customer Ratio
• Customer Acquisition Cost to Lifetime Value Ratio
• Number of Months to Recover Customer Acquisition Cost
• Daily and Monthly Active Users
• Number of Referrals
• Retention Rate
• Free Trial to Paid Conversion

SWOT Analysis

Operational Plan

In the same way QualTech  is delivering a product to help clients with their operations, the company also implements sound operational procedures. The company is focused in the software industry, therefore operationally it can be fairly lean without the need for a large amount of fixed assets or inventory. It consists of product, engineering, customer success, sales, marketing, and operations which is typical for a SaaS business model. Nonetheless, the main focus of the management team initially is to invest into the technology. Specifically, this involves 24/7 uptime, maintenance, availability to troubleshoot, and addressing issues that may arise given the nature of ISO compliance.

Customer Success

In any software business, customer success (CS) plays a central role in managing the relationship once the client has signed up for the solution. The CS team at QualTech  will review feedback constantly, as well as work with customers on various payment options. Depending on the size of the organization, the company can offer various levels of support and discounts. Customer Success also facilitates the relationship with marketing and sales to ensure that QualTech  is maximizing cross-sell or upsell opportunities. This operational role is essential to managing relationships and creating more lifetime value. CS teams will generally pass any issues onto the product team, as well as opportunities for new features. In turn, the product team will collaborate with engineering to fix issues or build further features, meanwhile partnering with sales and marketing to communicate the value to customers.

Accounting and Finance

While a software business may not have the level of complexity as other, say, manufacturing organizations, most follow a similar path in terms of funding. The finance team within QualTech  will be focused on ensuring that the financial health of the organization is in check. This will involve partnering with the executive team on exploring financing options in terms of loans, lines of credit, venture capital, or acquisition. The company initially will use funds for executing operations, refining the product, and marketing.

Health & Safety

QualTech  is a tech company focused on quality management software. As such, traditional robust health and safety measures associated with manufacturing organizations do not apply. Nonetheless, the company still takes measures to protect its employees and stakeholders. As this is a sensitive domain, with ISO certification and compliance to other standards, QualTech  must focus on the safety measures that protect client data against intrusion or attack. This involves regular risk assessments on workstations, providing additional equipment, reviewing common threats (especially “zero day” attacks which are vulnerabilities previously unknown to cybersecurity professionals), and informing the community of any possible intrusions.

Additionally, the company will comply with health and safety related to COVID-19. Given that a majority of the customer base is in the manufacturing sector, as it is a primary user of the software, QualTech  will likely have contact with such vendors. All team members will abide by the appropriate provincial and federal health and safety regulations.

Equipment & Inventory

QualTech  is not in the manufacturing industry, therefore it will have limited inventory. Most SaaS firms seek to keep their balance sheet light to reinvest funds toward product development and talent acquisition. Nonetheless, for developing and maintaining the system there are some pieces of equipment and inventory which are required, and detailed further below.

QualTech will be based in Chicago, Illinois .  As a major economic hub, Chicago will provide ample resources to our growing team of quality management consultants.

Risk Analysis

QualTech  understands the challenges related to implementing a quality management system. Software businesses face risks specific to the industry, furthermore the company has risks also specific to its chosen SMB niche. Nonetheless, QualTech  has developed a risk management initiative to identify key risks, and respective mitigation strategies.

Management Team

Chief Executive Officer

Bob has 10 years of experience in managing one of the largest IT companies in Texas.  He brings with him his expertise in maximizing the value of the businesses.  He will be tasked to lead the Management Team in all aspects to ensure achievement of company goals and objectives.

Pat Wimbley

Chief Operating Officer

Pat is a world-class operations consultant with specializations in resource management, financial modeling and dealing with employee resolutions. Pat will lead our quality management consultants at each and every turn.

John Walker

Chief Financial Officer

John is a Certified Public Accountant and has worked with small to medium size companies in establishing their financial models. John is one of the foremost Chief Financial Officers in the midwest of the United States.

Key Personnel

The company will have other key personnel in addition to the management team. As QualTech  is a startup, it will fill these positions when it has the capital available. The management team will likely wear many hats to start, however once the key personnel positions are filled it will become easier to scale the platform. Listed below are the additional key personnel required:

Sales Manager

Expert knowledge about QualTech , its products, and services

Emphasize the benefits of QualTech , over features, and highlight how they solve problems

Identify prospects in the ideal client profile, and take them through the sales process

Follow up on leads and be responsible for improving conversion rates

Set weekly, monthly and quarterly forecast targets for the team

Project Manager

Lead project from the front and assign tasks to the team accordingly

Listen to clients requirements and feedback in order to align with goals

Ensure all internal and external stakeholders are satisfied throughout the process

Monitor project progress and set deadlines for the team

Evaluate schedule slips, risks, and work breakdown structures

Project Administrator

Track tasks of different projects to ensure all deadlines are met

Ensure project costs and schedules stay within the original scope

Schedule recurring and ad-hoc meetings with clients

Customer Support Representative

Provide product and service information, as well as resolve problems which may arise

Develop appropriate solutions for any client complaints

Perform follow-ups of solved complaints to ensure resources are allocated efficiently

Open customer accounts and record key account information

Prepare product or service reports by analyzing customer information

Marketing Coordinator

Craft and run marketing campaigns on social media channels

Compile and evaluate revenue estimates for marketing and advertising campaigns

Create marketing reports for senior management’s review

Monitor budgets by evaluating results in comparison to projections

Recruitment Plan

QualTech  plans to follow a phased approach to hire essential staff on an employment basis. To facilitate this, the company will utilize online job boards including LinkedIn, Indeed and ZipRecruiter to post open positions and reach prospective staff members. In the post-pandemic economic climate, recruiting and retaining employees is becoming increasingly difficult. In addition, it’s required under Canadian law to have a discrimination-free hiring process. To help navigate employment law and the recruitment process, the company may elect to hire a professional recruitment firm to assist.

Financial Plan

The following financial plan was conservatively developed including a pro forma income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet.

Pro Forma Income Statement

Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

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In writing for a business plan, it is essential to undergo into a process that helps you in ensuring that the quality of a particular product is maintained. This process is called quality control . It requires most business and companies to create a type of environment through which the management and the employees will strive harder in order to achieve their goals or objectives . It can be done by having a training, creating a benchmark intended for your products, and testing your products for other related and significant variations. There has been an important aspect that contains within having a quality control. It is the establishment of controls that helps in contributing to the standardization of production and reactions. This article will lead you to more information with regards to quality control in business plans, so keep reading!

Quality Control Business Plan

8+ quality control business plan samples, 1. business licensing quality control plan, 2. quality control assurance business plan, 3. quality control compliance business partner plan, 4. quality control business review plan, 5. quality control infrastructure business plan, 6. company quality control business plan, 7. quality control program business plan, 8. quality control startup business plan, 9. quality control monitoring business plan, steps in writing a quality control plan for businesses, what are the benefits of having quality control, what are some known quality control methods.

Taking quality controls among business plans are usually considered as the final step to take. This stage is essential and will remain crucial due to the fact that it helps you determine each related processes. Depending on the type of industry you are in, you need to have an implementation of the internal and external quality controls. When we say internal control, it is the one that has been typically found in businesses that observes in-house protocols. This may even differ from having maintenance to evaluating personnel for performance analysis . The external control is used when you have to send products to third parties.

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• Create an organization chart – you should have an outline of your organizational chart that enables you to provide description of the job, business qualifications, and required training to make sure that the quality assurance procedure will be performed well. Such requirements has to be documented for the purpose of showing to the employees how to conduct the exact method of inspecting. The documents need to be kept in a file in case there will be concerns of errors.
• Define responsibilities – this phase is where you will be going to outline all the essential duties for the employees or affiliates. Each one of the personnel should be able to understand the processes.
• Purchase and receive materials – the management must be able to understand all the specifications to check if it met the quality standards. It is essential to define the key characteristics of materials before you are going to start the process. Once the needed materials are already available, you should task your employees to check the shipment to make sure that the products delivered have met the standards.
• Verify the qualifications of your supplier – you have to properly perform quality assurance with regards to the more complex components. That is why companies are preferred to provide a specification to their requirements.
• Evaluate quality feedback – getting a feedback could be a great idea to help you improve the quality and item performance. You can easily determine your strengths and weaknesses by looking at the online reviews, suggestions, and complaints. Each of the business organizations must create a customer service team to cater and examine the reviews.
• Develop a process intended for corrective actions – all companies need to create a corrective plan that allows them to solve quality issues. Once you have already identified the cause of your problem, then every business must be able to implement a proper solution that would prevent things from happening again.

Practicing quality control gives you a positive impact when it comes to employee conduct. It also inspires employees to create more high quality goods that may lead to customer satisfaction.

It includes X-bar chart, Taguchi method, six sigma, and 100% inspection mode.

With a quality control business plan at hand, businesses can make sure that everything meets the standards including the corrective procedures to address a specific problem or concern. If you want to see more samples and format, check out some quality control business plan samples and templates provided in the article for your reference.

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Control Plan Development

Control plans.

– Control Plan Development –

⇓   Introduction to Control Plans

⇓   What is a Control Plan

⇓   Why Develop a Control Plan

⇓   How to Develop a Control Plan

⇓   Learn More About Control Plans

Introduction to Control Plans

Most companies are looking for methods to reduce cost and eliminate waste in their processes. In the business world today controlling waste and maintaining a high level of quality is imperative for a company to succeed. The cost of doing business is ever increasing. Rising costs of raw materials combined with labor and equipment costs have brought scrap reduction into the critical to business category. The cost of steel alone has more than doubled in the last two years. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to assure that parts are being produced that conform to customer requirements every time. In addition, we must have the ability to detect a non-conforming part or assembly as well as a plan for responding to changing process conditions.  The majority of manufacturing companies are experienced at detecting initial problems and developing corrective actions to correct the problem. But many fall short when it comes to sustaining those corrective actions or process improvements over a long period of time. In many cases the process gradually returns to its previous state and the problems eventually resurface. The purpose of a Control Plan is to monitor processes and assure that any improvements are maintained over the life cycle of the part or product. Control Plans are currently being utilized to ensure product quality in the Automotive, Aerospace, Agricultural Equipment, Heavy Equipment and many other industries throughout the world.  A Control Plan is often a Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) requirement for suppliers of parts to companies in these industries. The primary resource for information regarding Control Plan Methodology in the automotive industry is the Advanced Product Quality Planning and Control Plan manual published by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).

What is a Control Plan

The Control Plan is a document that describes the actions (measurements, inspections, quality checks or monitoring of process parameters) required at each phase of a process to assure the process outputs will conform to pre-determined requirements. In simpler terms, the Control Plan provides the operator or inspector with the information required to properly control the process and produce quality parts or assemblies. It should also include instructions regarding actions taken if a non-conformance is detected. The Control Plan does not replace detailed operator instructions. In some cases the Control Plan is used in conjunction with an inspection sheet or checklist. The Control Plan helps assure quality is maintained in a process in the event of employee turnover by establishing a standard for quality inspection and process monitoring.  Control Plans are living documents that should be periodically updated as the measurement methods and controls are improved throughout the life cycle of the product.

Why Develop a Control Plan

Developing and implementing Control Plan Methodology has several benefits. The use of Control Plans helps reduce or eliminate waste in a process. Businesses today must reduce waste everywhere possible. The Control Plan improves product quality by identifying the sources of variation in a process and establishing controls to monitor them. Control Plans focus on the product characteristics most important to the customer and the business. By focusing on what is critical to quality during the process, you can reduce scrap, eliminate costly reworks and prevent defective product from reaching the customer. When scrap and reworks are reduced, throughput of the process is inherently improved. Manufacturing efficiency is improved and your company’s bottom line is impacted in a positive manner.

How to Develop a Control Plan

The Control Plan should be developed by a Cross Functional Team (CFT) that has an understanding of the process being controlled or improved. By utilizing a CFT, you are likely to identify more opportunities for improvement of the process. The Control Plan is more than just a form to fill out.  It is a plan developed by the team to control the process and ensure the process produces quality parts that meet the customer requirements. The information contained in the control plan can originate from several sources, including but not limited to the following:

• Process Flow Diagram
• Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)
• Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA)
• Special Characteristics Matrix
• Lessons Learned from similar parts
• Design Reviews
• Team knowledge about the process
• Field or warranty issues

Throughout the life cycle of a product, the information contained in the list above frequently changes or the content grows. Therefore the Control Plan must be a living document, continuously updated as new information is added. The Control Plan therefore is an integral part of an effective product quality system.

The Three Levels of Control Plans

Prior to completing the Control Plan development, the team must determine the proper level appropriate for the process being controlled. There are three designations for a Control Plan level based upon what point the product is at in the New Product Introduction (NPI) process. They are as follows:

• Prototype – This level Control Plan should include descriptions of the dimensions to be measured and the material and performance tests to be completed during the prototype build
• Pre-Launch – This level of Control Plan should contain descriptions of the dimensions to be measured and the material and performance tests to be completed after prototype but prior to product launch and regular production
• Production – This level of Control Plan should contain a comprehensive listing of the product and process special characteristics, the process controls, measurement methods and tests that will be performed during regular production

The Control Plan Format

There are many variations of the form used to document the Control Plan.  Most of the forms used are in the Excel format although there are custom software packages available for many quality tools, including Control Plans. The following section will provide descriptions of what general information should be populated in each of the blocks. The types of control plans vary depending upon the process being controlled.

• Control Plan Level – The appropriate box should be checked to indicate the level or type of Control Plan that is being developed
• Control Plan Number – Enter the appropriate number that the Control Plan will be listed as in your document control system
• In addition the appropriate change or revision level should be indicated. The control plan should be reviewed and updated with each level change or revision of the part or assembly. The control plan should be a living document.
• The process name is preferred if the Control Plan is covering a family of parts produced on the same process
• Supplier/Plant – Enter name of the company and plant/division developing the Control Plan
• Supplier Code – Your designated supplier code should be entered if the part is being produced for an external customer
• Key Contact/Phone – The Name and contact information (phone number, email) of the primary contact responsible for the Control Plan
• Core Team – Enter the names of the CFT that prepared the Control Plan
• Supplier/Plant Approval Date – Once the approval is received from the customer, enter the date approval was received
• Other Approval/Date – Enter any additional approval information and date if required
• Date Original – The date the Control Plan was initially completed should be entered here
• Date/Rev – Insert the latest revision date of the Control Plan released in this box
• Customer Engineering Approval/Date – If required, obtain the customer engineering approval information and enter in this location
• Customer Quality Approval/Date – If required, obtain the customer quality representative approval information and enter in this location
• Part numbers may be entered for an assembly and in some applications the process step number from the Process flow is entered
• Process Name/Operation Description – Enter information from the process flow diagram that describes the operation being performed in this column
• Machine/Device/Jigs/Tool for Manufacturing – In this column, identify the equipment, machines, fixtures, jigs and other tools required to accomplish the particular process operation listed in the corresponding row

Characteristics Section

This section of the Control Plan describes the particular characteristics of the product or process that may need to be controlled and documented. The characteristic could be product or process related and the data could be variable or attribute data. The difference between product and process characteristics is often confused when completing a Control Plan.

• Number – This column is used for assigning a number corresponding to information in the process flow, work instructions or a numbered print
• Product – Product characteristics are physical features or properties of an assembly or component part usually described on the drawing that can be measured when the process is completed. Not all the dimensions or features on the print should be listed on the Control Plan. The team should determine the key or critical characteristics and compile them from their various sources. Special, Key or Critical characteristics come from the DFMEA exercise, print reviews, product or process historical information and customer feedback. If there are no key product characteristics for the particular operation, leave this space blank.
• Process – In this column, the team should identify the Key characteristics relating to the process. Examples would be the setting on a torque tool or the orientation of parts in a fixture. If there are no key process characteristics for the particular operation, leave this space blank. There could be multiple process characteristics listed for a single product characteristic. Key process characteristics can originate from the PFMEA or team knowledge of the process performance.
• P – Process
• R – Regulatory
• OS – Operator Safety

Methods Section

The information contained in the methods section includes the specification to be measured and a plan for collecting the data and controlling the process. The data could be variable or attribute data.

• Product/Process Specification / Tolerance – List the specification and tolerance as defined on the drawing, material specification, 3D model or in the manufacturing or assembly documentation
• Evaluation/Measurement Technique – Identify the measurement tools, gages, fixtures and / or test equipment used to evaluate the part or process specification listed in the previous column. A Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) is recommended to assure that correct, consistent usable data is being collected.
• Sample Size – If sampling is required, list the corresponding sample size or number of parts or assemblies that should be measured /evaluated during the process
• Sample Frequency – If sampling is required, list the frequency at which the samples will be taken during the process. As an example, the frequency could be 1st, 25th and final, or it could be continuous.
• Control Method / Prevention – This column should list the prevention controls and / or documents the operator will need to complete the process step. This should include work instructions, drawings, visual aids, etc.
• Control Method / Detection – The information in this column is critical for the effectiveness of the Control Plan. This column should list any detection controls determined by the team during the previous quality plan activities, including the DFMEA and PFMEA. The methods could include but are not limited to Statistical Process Control (SPC) , visual inspection, attribute data collection, error proofing, etc. A document or procedure number may also be populated in this space. The effectiveness of the control selected should be evaluated on a regular basis.
• Reaction Plan – This column should specify the actions required to prevent production of non-conforming products. The actions should be the responsibility of the operator and / or their immediate supervisor. They should include at the very least how to label, identify and quarantine the non-conforming material and the proper disposition of the suspect material, parts or assemblies. In addition, the reaction plan should include directions for properly documenting the incident and who should be notified of the non-conformance.

Control Plans can vary depending upon what type of process is being controlled. There are many different applications where the Control Plan can add value to the process. Below are a few examples of the different applications:

• Equipment set-up process where the major contributor to process variation is proper set-up of the equipment prior to the production run
• Equipment tooling dominant process where the major influence on variation is the impact of tool life on the part or product design characteristics
• Operator dominant process where the variation in the process is a result of the knowledge or training of the operator and the proper controls

The Control Plan can be a very effective tool for reducing the amount of scrap generated by a process. It can be very useful at improving quality and helping contain any non-conforming product prior to it leaving the work cell. It is most effective when incorporated into a larger quality plan. The Control Plan is the same as any other tool, in that to get the most value you must know how to use it properly. Your teams will require training and coaching in order to implement an effective Control Plan system. If you are interested in learning more about Control Plan Methodology, please contact one of our experienced professionals at Quality-One.

Learn More About Control Plan Development

Quality-One offers Quality and Reliability Support for Product and Process Development through Consulting, Training and Project Support. Quality-One provides Knowledge, Guidance and Direction in Quality and Reliability activities, tailored to your unique wants, needs and desires. Let us help you Discover the Value of Control Plan Consulting , Control Plan Training or Control Plan Project Support .

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15+ quality control plan templates in word | google docs | apple pages | pdf.

The best inputs give the best outputs. A quality control plan helps in keeping in check the rate of quality of the products and services, and also the quantity you provide that makes you different and unique from the others. It covers four main elements- the employees, the suppliers, assets and mainly, the clients. If you are looking for templates that can help you create an effective control plan , then you may check out and download our wide range of plan templates .

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Step 1: business plan and objectives, step 2: management review, step 3: responsibilities and authority, step 4: policies, step 5: resources and needs, step 6: internal audit and review, broker quality control plan sample template free.

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Conclusion:

General faqs, 1. what is a quality control plan, 2. what is the purpose of a quality control plan, 3. give an example of activities of quality control..

• Process checklists and standards
• Business documentation
• Project audit
• Inspection of products and services
• Deliverable peer reviews
• Software testing process, etc.

4. Where is the Quality Control Plan used?

5. what are the tools used for quality control.

• Checklists: used to check off items that are complete
• Flow charts : used for evaluating a sequence of events
• Stratification: used to divide the data and capture useful information for problem-solving
• Scatter diagrams: used to present the relationship between variables
• Fishbone diagrams, etc.

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Politics latest: UK needs Iron Dome to protect London, MP argues; Rwanda plan dealt another Lords defeat

Rishi Sunak's smoking ban passes convincingly on second reading, despite high-profile Tory MPs voting against it - while his Rwanda bill is defeated again. Meanwhile, the PM holds a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tuesday 16 April 2024 23:17, UK

• Rwanda bill suffers four defeats in Lords - teeing up crucial day
• Government wins vote on smoking ban despite opposition from ministers | Who voted against?
• UK needs Iron Dome like Israel to protect London, MP argues
• Jon Craig:  PM will hope Tory rebellion doesn't mean he's at fag end of premiership
• Sunak tells Netanyahu that 'calm heads should prevail'
• Number 10 criticises 'disturbing' bid to shut down conference by Brussels police
• Farage - who addressed event - speaks out
• Darren McCaffrey: Crackdown only helps cancel culture cause
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch and (earlier)   Faith Ridler

Thank you for joining us in the Politics Hub for another busy day in Westminster.

Here's what happened:

• Peers in the House of Lords inflicted another four defeats on the government over the legislation to rescue the embattled Rwanda scheme, sending the bill back to the Commons as the parliamentary "ping-pong" continues;
• Rishi Sunak's flagship bill to ban young people from ever being able to smoke passed its first major hurdle in the Commons - but not without a significant number of Tories opposing it;
• Just 178 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill out of 347 - barely half of the parliamentary party - and six ministers, including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, voted against it;
• A local mayor sent police to shut down the National Conservatism Conference where Reform UK's honorary president Nigel Farage and former home secretary Suella Braverman were speaking - but the conference continued, and the attempt to stop was condemned as "unconstitutional" by Belgium's president;
• Rishi Sunak finally spoke by phone with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu following Iran's attack on Saturday, telling him this is a moment for "calm heads to prevail";
• The government unveiled plans to make the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images a criminal offence.

Join us again from 6am for the very latest political news - and for live coverage of the first session of Prime Minister's Questions in nearly a month at 12pm.

We heard a short while ago from Tory MP and former defence minister Tobias Ellwood who is suggesting that the UK needs an Iron Dome system, like the one that protected Israel from Iran's missiles ( more about the system here ).

He told Sky's The World with Yalda Hakim that the conduct of warfare is changing, which was visible with Iran using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles as part of a simultaneous attack.

"If that is the way that warfare is now being conducted - we see this not just in the Middle East with Iran's attack, but also with what's going on in Ukraine - we need to move with the times as well."

He added that the UK already has "impressive air defence assets", but says: "There is nothing protecting London, for example, in the same way that Iron Dome operates over Israel."

Asked if Britain's focus should be on properly arming itself rather than an Iron Dome system, Mr Ellwood said there "needs to be a thorough review of the threats that are emerging".

He pointed to Russia's development of low-yield tactical nuclear weapons.

"We need to perhaps wake up to the fact that we've had three to four decades of relative peace - we've now entered a new era of insecurity."

Asked how likely it is the UK will see an attack like the one Iran launched, Mr Ellwood replied: "At the moment, it's not."

He said the "biggest threat" to Europe is Russia's Vladimir Putin, and he said both the US and Europe have hesitated in providing support for Ukraine, unlike Britain.

"We need to brace ourselves for an alliance of authoritarian states working together to challenge global order," he concluded. 

As we reported earlier, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch voted against Rishi Sunak's flagship legislation to stop young people from ever being able to smoke.

It has set tongues wagging that her public opposition to the PM's bill is leadership posturing.

But she rejected such suggestions out of hand, saying it is a "shame" people are seeing it that way.

She told LBC: "We need space for people to be able to have disagreements without it being put down to ulterior motives.

"Everything we do is looked at through the prism of the worst possible intention.

"And I think that's one of the reasons why politicians feel they don't get a fair hearing, that many people decide not to do this job.

"Sometimes we have to take what people are saying at face value."

Over a year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023.

But with the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below:

Earlier this evening, Rishi Sunak's bill to ban young people from ever being able to smoke passed its first Commons hurdle.

The government is claiming this as a big win - but was it really?

Just 178 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill out of 347 - barely half of the parliamentary party.

A number of sitting ministers voted against it, including:

• Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch;
• Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker;
• Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart;
• Science minister Andrew Griffith;
• Digital minister Julia Lopez;
• Housing minister Lee Rowley.

Much of the right of the party voted against it, including party deputy chair Jonathan Gullis, ex-PM Liz Truss, high-profile ex-minister Robert Jenrick, former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, among many others.

Also notable were the abstentions, with 106 Tory MPs not casting a vote either way - including the Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt.

It was a free vote, meaning the Tory high command did not tell its MPs how to vote either way. But there is a clear split within the party.

Meanwhile, not a single one of the 201 Labour MPs went against the party's instructions to vote against the bill. But 40 did abstain, however.

"Absolutely nuts" was how former prime minister Boris Johnson described Rishi Sunak's plan to gradually phase out smoking – banning anyone born since the start of 2009 from ever being able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products like vapes.

Liz Truss, who was also briefly prime minister in between the two men, is also among some critical of the proposal – which she described as "profoundly un-conservative".

Tories were given a free vote in the Commons – allowing them to vote with their conscience, not necessarily the government.

But will the policy create a smoke-free generation? And what will it mean for Conservative Party ideology?

Niall Paterson looks at the health implications with Alice Wiseman, vice president of The Association of Directors of Public Health, and the politics of the policy with Sky's political editor Beth Rigby and Tory peer Lord Frost, who disagrees with the planned legislation.

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Rishi Sunak has been badly burned by a Commons rebellion by nearly 60 Tory MPs who voted against his flagship Tobacco and Vaping Bill.

When Commons deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing called the vote just before 7pm, the rebels on the Conservative backbenches made a lot of noise screaming "No!"

And minutes later, it was revealed that their rebellion was not only noisy, but also a defiant show of strength by the mutinous Tory Right that will leave the PM and his allies gasping.

In an ominous but entirely predictable warning shot to the PM, the list of rebels included a roll call of the right-wing contenders for the Tory crown, both serving and former Cabinet ministers.

Topping the list of leadership candidates desperate to please those party activists was Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, who never misses an opportunity to play to the Tory gallery.

Next was the equally ambitious Robert Jenrick, who also voted against the bill, while Penny Mordaunt, another darling of the activists, appears to have abstained.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, dashed back from a controversial conference of right-wingers in Brussels so she could fire her latest salvo against Mr Sunak.

But the most high-profile and public rebel during the six-hour debate was former prime minister Liz Truss, who made a speech lashing out at "virtue-signalling" and "finger-wagging, nannying control freaks".

Read Jon's analysis in full below...

After the government's bill to stop young people ever smoking passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons, Labour's shadow health secretary spoke to broadcasters with his party's view.

Wes Streeting said Labour has "led the debate on phasing out smoking in our country and making sure this generation of children and young people grow up in a smoke-free Britain".

He said: "It is thanks to the votes of Labour MPs we got this measure through the House of Commons today because of the size of the Conservative rebellion."

"Labour is proud not to play politics on the vote. We will get this bill through as quickly as possible. So let's get our skates on, get it through the Commons, get it through the Lords and get it under the statute book."

He pledged that Labour will implement the ban if it forms the next government.

Mr Streeting also said the government has been "slow to act" on the "explosion in the number of children and young people vaping", which he said will have "serious consequences" for their health, and also for their education, as "kids are skipping school to go and vape".

By Becky Johnson , communities correspondent

Immigration enforcement staff have had their leave cancelled as the government hopes its plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda will become law this week.

Speaking to Sky News, Lucy Moreton from the ISU, the union for borders, immigration and customs, said the staff who will be expected to arrest and remove people still know very little about how they will be expected to force people on to planes.

She said immigration enforcement officers have had all leave cancelled for six weeks, beginning the week after next.

Initially, they had been told leave was cancelled from next week but that has been delayed.

Read the full story here:

The IMF is reporting that the UK economy is going to be growing less than expected this year, and we asked Labour's Jonathan Ashworth how concerned he is about the statement of the economy.

He said growth has been "anaemic", and blamed the Conservatives for the cost of living crisis.

"And then today you've got Liz Truss parading around the studios, asking people to congratulate her for the action she took."

"But the serious point is that the Conservatives haven't learned the lesson. In Liz Truss's book, she's talking about abolishing national insurance. That's exactly the policy. Rishi Sunak has adopted."

Sophy Ridge pointed out that it is a long-term ambition, and he replied that he has not yet explained how he will fund it.

"He's got to explain how he's going to fund a £46bn commitment to get rid of National Insurance. Is it borrowing, putting pressure on mortgages? Is it cuts, the NHS, the state pension, or is it more tax for pensioners?

"Until he explains that, people can conclude he's making exactly the same mistakes that Liz Truss made."

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