Quality Planning, Assurance and Control in Manufacturing, Industrial Projects and Services Environments

Abstract

The role of quality planning, assurance and control is well established in manufacturing and production environments; however, the same cannot be said for industrial projects and the services environment. It is evident that the tangibility of the output is different and, as a result, evaluated differently. In a project environment, many projects exceed budget, schedule and performance. One may argue that quality planning, control and assurance have a significant role in ensuring projects meet their budget, schedule and performance objectives. In contrast, in a services environment, quality planning, assurance and control procedures are used to ensure that the set of quality criteria meets the customer’s requirements so that the customer gets a better service experience. There are differences in how quality planning, assurance and control are implemented and perceived in these three environments. This chapter explores the differences and similarities in the implementation, perception and maturity of quality planning, assurance and control. This chapter provides interesting opportunities for quality planning, assurance and control in a manufacturing, projects and services environment.