Quality Management on a Project

According to Kerzner, & Kerzner, (2017) quality on a project is the process through which the project deliverables as well as outcomes are generated in accordance to the customer’s specifications, plans and needs. Therefore, quality management complement project management in the sense that they both emphasis on customer satisfaction. Quality results in customer satisfaction.

There are various tools and techniques used for planning a project’s quality management such as cost benefits analysis, cost of quality and quality control are the primary planning tools:

Cost benefit analysis: It is also referred to as Benefit-Cost Analysis. Accordingly, this tool is used to illustrate the value of conducting a project. Therefore, cost benefit analysis plays the role of calculating the expenses involved to generate a service, product or outcome for comparison with the benefits supposed to be achieved. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis provides the present value of upcoming earnings which aid for maters of comparison with other projects.

Cost of quality (COQ): This is a tool applied in the project for purposes of decision-making. On the other hand cost of quality is defined as the aggregate expenses needed to come up with poor quality product or service to the project management defined standards.  

Quality control: It is the process of monitoring as well as recording the results of executing the quality of practices to evaluate performance and provide necessary recommendation for modification (Larson, & Gray, 2015). Thus, quality control is concerned with the project results where it works to ensure that the outcomes comply with the quality standards described for the project to eliminate any causes of unsatisfying performance.    

In addition other planning tools include force filed analysis (FFA), brainstorming and nominal group technique (NGT). Force filed analysis is a technique used for analysis concepts by diving these concepts in terms of their characteristic advantages against their disadvantages. Brainstorming is a technique used for collecting information whereby different unfiltered inputs are solicited and collected for later analysis and decision-making (Martinelli, & Milosevic, 2016). On the other hand, Nominal group technique is a refinement of brainstorming which include ranking of ideas as an extra mechanism in accordance to the assumptions reached by a nominal groups. Certainly, the ranking of ideas is significant as it help to generate better results as compared to the traditional brainstorming. On the other hand, there are also additional tools used in both control quality and quality planning such as scatter diagrams, histograms, control charts, Pareto diagrams, check sheets, flowcharts, and cause-and-effect diagrams. These tools are commonly referred to as Ishikawa’s seven basics tools.  

Tools for Planning Quality Management

The Cost of poor Quality is the expense associated with giving poor quality service or product. A good example of cost of poor quality is when a business spends money a certain project with the intention to produce a product which particular specification but the money is lost due to the product delivered not beings in the position to meet the business requirements and specifications.

Cost management plan is a process that is majorly concerned with planning, budgeting and controlling of the project. Therefore, the cost management plan entails practices such as estimating, planning, manging, budgeting, control as well as funding of the expenses of the project within the specified and certified budget. The process of cost management runs throughout the entire project lifecycle starting from initial planning stage to evaluating the actual performance cost and project accomplishment (Larson, & Gray, 2015). Consequently, the main process of project costs management include resource planning, cist budgeting, cost control and cost estimation.

Resource planning: Resource planning is the process of identifying the project’s physical resources that is individuals, materials and equipment as well as the quantities that are supposed to be used to undertake project activities (Kerzner, & Kerzner, 2017). Therefore, resource planning involves a number of inputs, tools and techniques as well as outputs.

• Resource planning inputs: The inputs of resource panning include scope statement, work breakdown structure, historical information, resource pool description, organisational policies.
• Work breakdown structure: The WBS is used to identify the projects aspects that will require resources hence it is key input to resource planning.
• Historical information: This provides past information about the kind of resources needed for a similar initial project that can be used if need be.
• Scope statement: The scope statement involves justification of the project objectives which are explicitly considered during resource planning.
• Resource pool description: accordingly, this provide knowledge regarding the type of resources that is equipment, people as well as materials which are potentially significant for resource planning (Harrison, & Lock, 2017).
• Organisational policies: the policies of undertaking organisation concerning the shift as well as the purchase of rental of equipment and supplies has be considered at the time of resource planning.

Tools and techniques of resource planning: In order to determine the tools and resource required for resource planning its calls for expert judgement. Indeed, an expert judgement comes from an expert’s professional experience. On the same note, resource planning demand for alternative identification since projects are likely to change over time thus, it is important to take a range of scenarios into account. In so doing, it is possible to come up with solutions for use as change happens (Heagney, 2016). Therefore, alternative identification involves two approaches pattern thinking and lateral thinking. Pattern thinking is an approach that entails pattern recognition which is relevant for improvement in accordance to the previous experiences. Lateral thinking is a method that calls for creative thinking as well as problem solving which concepts which could not be obvious initially.

Outputs from resource planning: The outputs of resource planning defines the type of resources as well as the quantities in which every component included in the work breakdown structure.

Cost estimation include establishing an approximation of the expenses of the resources required to ensure that it accomplishes the project events. Therefore, cost estimation involves coming up with an evaluation of the possible quantitative results that is the amount of money that incurred by the organisation to make available the service or product needed (Heldman, 2018). As a result, cost estimation include considering and identifying different costing alternatives. Accordingly, cost estimation involves inputs, tools and techniques as well as outputs.

Cost Benefit Analysis

The inputs to cost estimation include work breakdown structure, resource requirements, resource rates, event duration estimates, historical information and chart of accounts.

Work breakdown structure: The WBS is used to identify the projects aspects that will require resources hence it is key input to resource planning.

Resource requirements: Resource planning is the process of identifying the project’s physical resources that is individuals, materials and equipment as well as the quantities that are supposed to be used to undertake project activities (Martinelli, & Milosevic, 2016). Therefore, cost estimation involves a number of inputs, tools and techniques as well as outputs.

Resource rates: It is important that the groups or person preparing the estimates is well conversant with unit rates such as the cost of employee per hour for every resource so as to compute the project costs. Certainly, in case the real rates are unknown then the rates can be estimated.

Historical information: Historical information on cost comes in a range of source s such as project files, project team knowledge and commercial cost estimation.

Event duration estimates: It illustrates the act of quantifying the amount of time which is projected that the activity will last to completion.   

Chart of accounts: A chart of accounts defines the coding structure utilised by the performing company to report monetary information through its general ledger.

Analogous estimating: It involves using the real cost of a previous similar project to project the cost of the present project.

Parametric modelling: It entails use of project features using a mathematical model to project the project’s cost (Gido, Clements, & Clements, 2014).

Bottom-up estimating: It the techniques of estimating the expense of each distinct work and then rolling-up the estimate to determine the total project cost.

Computerised tools: It involves the use of computerised tools such as project management software to aid in cost estimating.

The cost estimating outputs include cost estimates, supporting details, and cost management plan.

Cost budgeting entails the general allocation of cost estimates to specific work items so that to develop a cost baseline for evaluating the performance of the project (Newton, 2016). The project cost is estimated at $275,500 as shown in the table below.    

	No Units/hrs	Cost/hrs/unit ($)	Subtotals ($)	WBS Level 1 Total ($)	% Total
1. Project Management				101,000	37.1
Project manager	500	70	35,000
Project team members	1200	55	66,000
Contractors (10 of total project management)			10,100	10,100	3.7
2. Resource planning (20% of the project management)			20,200	20,200	7.4
3. Tools and techniques (40% of the project management)			40,400	40,400	14.8
Hardware			20,200	20,200	7.4
Handheld devices	20	800	16,000
Servers	3	1400	4,200
Software			20,200	20,200	7.4
Licensed software	20	200	4,000
Software development			16,000
4. Testing (10% of the total cost for hardware and software)				10,100	3.7
Training and support				30,000	11.1
Reserve (20% of total estimate)				20,200	7.4
Total project cost estimate				272,500	100

                                                       Table 1: Cost management plan

Quality Management Plan

Cost of Quality

Project quality management plan is a procedure that is needed to make sure that the project is a position to satisfy the needs and specifications for which it was intended. Therefore, quality management entails all the general management functionalities which determine the quality objectives, policy as well as responsibilities (Aaltonen, & Kujala, 2010). Therefore, quality management plan involves quality control, quality planning, quality improvement, and quality assurance. Particularly, the primary quality management process include quality planning, quality assurance and quality control.

The process of quality planning include the identification of the quality standards significant to the project as well as determining ways on how to realise them. Accordingly, this is one of the chief facilitating projects during planning which has to be undertaken consistently and parallel with other processes of project planning (Sahi, 2009). Therefore, quality planning involves certain inputs tools and techniques and outputs.

Quality planning has various inputs such as:

Quality policy: Quality policy is describes as the general directive and intent of the organisation in regard to quality.

Scope statement: The scope statement is a major input to quality planning as it documents key project deliverables together with the project objectives which work to describes relevant stakeholder necessities.  

Some of the tools and techniques used for ensuring quality planning include cost analysis, benchmarking, design of experiments and flowcharting.

• Cost analysis: The process of quality planning has to consider cost/benefit trade-offs. Consequently, the core benefit of realising quality requirements is less work which means lower expenses, higher productivity as well as increased stakeholder satisfaction.
• Benchmarking: It involves making comparison between real-time project carry outs against other projects so as to come up with concepts for enhancing and offering a standard by which to assess project performance (AIMS, 2015).
• Design of experiments: This is an analytical technique that aids in the identification of the variables that are more influential to the entire project outcome.
• Flowcharting: It is used to illustrate the manner in which the project elements interrelate.

Quality assurance is the process used to ensure that all the planned project activities are systematically implemented within the borders of quality standards to deliver confidence that the project meets the appropriate standards of quality (Ainamo et al., 2010). Certainly, quality assurance involves various inputs, tools and techniques as well as outputs. The inputs to quality assurance include quality management plan and results quality control measures. The tools and techniques for quality assurance comprises quality audits, and quality planning tools and techniques.

Quality control encompasses monitoring certain project outcomes to determine whether they agree with the accepted quality standards by looking for ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory outcomes (Pensar, 2010). The inputs to quality control include checklists and work lists. The tools and techniques for quality control include control charts, flowcharting, and Pareto diagrams among others. Lastly, the outputs from quality control include completed checklists, acceptance decisions, quality improvement and rework.  

References:

Aaltonen, K., & Kujala, J. (2010). A project lifecycle perspective on stakeholder influence strategies in global projects. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4), 381–397.

AIMS (2015). What is Project Cost Management? Tools, Techniques and Processes for PMP & PMBOK | AIMS Lecture. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PflAkMayixM

Ainamo, A., Artto, K., Levitt, R. E., Orr, R. J., Scott, W. R., & Tainio, R. (2010). Global projects: Strategic perspectives. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4), 343–351.

Gido, J., Clements, J., & Clements, J. (2014). Successful project management. Nelson Education.

Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: a structured approach. Routledge.

Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom.

Heldman, K. (2018). PMP: project management professional exam study guide. John Wiley & Sons.

Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2015). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute.

Martinelli, R. J., & Milosevic, D. Z. (2016). Project management toolbox: tools and techniques for the practicing project manager. John Wiley & Sons.

Newton, R. (2016). Project management step by step: how to plan and manage a highly successful project. Pearson UK.

Pensar, S. (2010, August 17). Five challenges in global projects. Retrieved from https://www.itforbusiness.org/article/five-challenges-in-global-projects/

Sahi, R. (2009). Managing Projects across the Global Enterprise. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/learning/managing-projects-global-six-challenges-6823