Quality assurance and quality control are two distinct functions within the overall quality process management process. Quality assurance involves establishing policies and procedures for selecting raw materials and developing a logical production sequence, while quality control ensures that these processes are being used effectively to produce quality products. There is often overlap in personnel, and both functions may be performed by a joint quality team.
While the terms quality assurance and quality control are sometimes used interchangeably, the fact is that each term refers to specific functions within the overall quality process management process within any type of business. While one is focused on creating that quality process, the other is focused on managing that process so that the stated goals of the business are accomplished. This is especially true in terms of how the company operates internally and how that operation ultimately results in the production of goods or services that meet consumer needs.
It is often helpful to think of quality assurance and quality control as logical steps in the overall process of delivering products to buyers. Quality assurance begins with establishing policies and procedures governing the selection of raw materials for the manufacturing process. At the same time, this stage also has to do with developing a logical sequence of production that ensures the quality of the under-produced goods at each stage within that sequence. Continuous quality assurance includes the task of evaluating the existing operational structure, including raw materials, and determining whether the process needs to be adjusted or adjusted in order to improve the quality of the finished products.
Quality control serves as a means of making sure that the processes put in place during the quality assurance phase are actually being put to best use. This means looking closely at how raw materials are handled, identifying possible points of contamination or some other failure in the process that could lead to the production of an inferior product. Here, the goal is to work within the established order so that the company realizes its goals of making quality products, a move that essentially completes the overall task that is both quality assurance and quality control they are designed to perform.
One reason many people use quality assurance and quality control interchangeably is that there is often a large overlap in terms of personnel engaged at each stage. In smaller companies, a quality control officer may also be charged with the responsibility of designing the manufacturing process and making sure it is followed. Other times, quality assurance and quality control personnel may both serve in a joint quality team, a strategy that allows each party to jointly make decisions about the manufacturing process and its maintenance.
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