QA IS NOT QC
-----------------------
Many
people are confused about the difference between quality assurance (QA),
quality control (QC), and testing. They are closely related, but they are
different concepts. Since all three are necessary to effectively manage the
risks of developing and maintaining software, it is important for us to
understand the differences.
They
are defined below:
Quality
Assurance:
A
set of activities designed to ensure that the development and/or maintenance
process is adequate to ensure a system will meet its objectives.
Quality
Control:
A set of activities designed to evaluate a developed work product.
Testing: The process of executing a system with the
intent of finding defects. (Note that the "process of executing a
system" includes test planning prior to the execution of the test cases.)
QA is Quality
Assurance -but QC is Quality Control.
Quality Assurance
|
Quality Control
|
QA activities ensure
that the process is defined and appropriate.
Methodology and
standards development are examples of QA activities.
QA is process
oriented.
Oriented to
prevention.
Monitoring and
improving the process
Phase beginning
activity.
|
QC activities focus
on finding defects in specific deliverables.
E.g., are the defined
requirements the right requirements?
QC is product
oriented.
Oriented to
detection.
Inspecting and
ensuring the work product meets the requirements.
End phase activity.
|
1.
QA is Quality Assurance -but QC is Quality Control.
2.
The difference is that QA is process oriented and QC is product oriented.
3.
Testing therefore is product oriented and thus is in the QC domain.
4.
Testing for quality isn't assuring quality, it's controlling it.
5.
Testing is one example of a QC activity
6.
Quality Assurance makes sure you are doing the right things, the right way.
7. Quality Control
makes sure the results of what you've done are what you expected.
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