Sandwich Sense (Part 2)

Sandwich Sense (Part 2) Craig Curran-Morton May 17, 2010

Process Improvement

Take a moment and imagine you are talking to someone about the concept of quality. By itself, it is a misunderstood concept both within the sphere of project management and beyond. Bring the concept of quality management into the discussion, and the puddle becomes slightly more muddied. Drop out terms such as “quality assurance” and the only thing you will be assured of is a short conversation as someone makes a feeble attempt to excuse themselves. In our discussion of quality and quality management, quality assurance is the next key step in the quality management process. Join us as we return to the Sub Shop for a bite to eat and some good conversation… 

In my last article, you, Bill and I were just about to cross the threshold, enter The Sub Shop and grab a quick sandwich for lunch. Bill had just defined what he was looking for in a good restaurant and The Sub Shop had developed a plan to meet those quality requirements. The five requirements he identified for himself were courteous service, reasonable prices, clean facilities, fast service and healthy options. These are Bill’s quality standards, which he wants to meet each time he goes to the restaurant. 

So if we know what we are looking for when we walk in the restaurant--and the restaurant has agreed to meet these criteria--how do we know we can be assured that those expectations will be met? It happens through quality assurance.