Formative assessment is an evaluation of a product during the manufacturing process to identify defects and ensure it meets quality control standards. It differs from summative assessment, which is done after production is complete. A company should perform both assessments to improve future manufacturing efforts.
In the business world, a formative assessment is an evaluation of a product that is conducted prior to the completion of the manufacturing process. This allows product manufacturers to look for defects and decide if the product delivers what is expected before it can no longer be changed. This differs from a summative evaluation, which is done after production is complete and the product is ready to be sold. In many cases, a formative assessment is performed by the product manufacturers themselves or by other staff members who have intimate knowledge of the desired outcome.
Whenever a company decides to create a new product, it must ensure that the product serves the purpose for which it was designed and meets the quality control standards maintained by the company. This requires extensive testing which must be done before the product is ready for sale. Once it hits the store shelves, there’s not much a company can do to correct any problems. Consequently, a formative assessment is a necessary step in manufacturing to ensure that high-quality products ultimately reach the hands of consumers.
When a company carries out a formative assessment, it does so during the manufacturing process itself. In various stages, it should check whether the product is achieving its goals. If not, changes can be made to alleviate any problems. Further evaluations can be made after changes are made, and the process continues until the product has met all of the production team’s goals.
This formative assessment process is in direct contrast to summative assessment, which is another necessary part of the production process. For the most part, summative assessments are performed after project completion. While alterations may not be possible at that point, lessons can still be learned from summative evaluation that will educate the company in future manufacturing efforts. A diligent company will perform formative and summative assessments.
There are many different objectives of a formative assessment that a business should be sure to achieve. Of course, the company should care about the quality of the product and whether or not it does what it’s supposed to do. Beyond that, a business should be closely monitored for any unforeseen issues that may not have even been factored into their original production plan. Likewise, it may find ways to improve the product that weren’t in the original plan. These unforeseen contingencies are a huge part of the educational process.
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