Quality Assurance Vs.Quality Control

December 12, 2022

6 Min Read

Introduction

Your strategy for managing quality includes doing quality assurance. Quality assurance (QA) includes everything you do in your plan to make sure your product is ready for production (or development, in the case of software). By checking off each of these boxes, you can rest assured that your items will meet all of the standards you’ve set out for them.

In quality assurance, the inspection process is known as quality control. It’s a set of checks after mass production to ensure everything is alright with the product. Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) are essential. There is no way to “test quality into” a product by relying just on QC. Quality assurance, or QA, is concerned with defect prevention. Quality assurance guarantees that the approaches, strategies, procedures, and processes designed for the projects are correctly implemented. Quality assurance operations ensure that the processes used to manage and develop deliverables have been followed and are operational.

Quality assurance is a proactive and preventative procedure. It detects weaknesses in the process. Before Quality Control, Quality Assurance must be completed.

Quality Control (QC) is concerned with identifying flaws. QC guarantees that the project’s approaches, techniques, methodologies, and processes are implemented correctly. QC activities ensure that the project deliverables fulfill the quality criteria that have been established.

Quality control is a reactive detection method. It detects flaws. After quality assurance, the other necessary process to complete is quality control.

The Differences Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control

To fully grasp the distinctions between quality assurance and quality control, it is helpful to see how these two processes interact to increase your company’s quality while decreasing the need for corrective measures. Some of their differences include the following:

Proactive (QA) vs. Reactive (QC)

Successful quality control measures are preventative. The goal is to eliminate the potential for errors in the design of the process. Quality control (QC) is a post-facto process that emerges after problems with a product have already manifested.

Documenting standard operating procedures (SOPs) by ISO 9000 standards is one example of the design work involved in quality assurance. Every time, the outcome should be a secure, efficient product. Methods are followed. Products undergo QC testing to guarantee they are safe and effective. When quality control testing reveals problems, you must take corrective actions to ensure that a dangerous product is not provided to customers.

In an ideal world, QC concerns would also prompt a QA assessment. Non-conforming test findings should result in corrective and preventative action (CAPA) inquiry to establish the root cause of quality issues and change systems to stop the issue from recurring.

Quality Assurance (Process) vs. Product (QC)

Quality assurance is procedure driven and preoccupied with eliminating potential sources of failure. Quality control (QC) concerns the final product and its potential impact on the client. The difference between these two concepts can also be seen in terms of doing something versus seeing the outcome of doing something. Quality control focuses on the finished product, while quality assurance deals with the processes that produce it. Below are a few instances of each category of pursuit.

System (QA) vs. Components (QC)

Systems of quality control and assurance are the practices put in place to maintain predetermined benchmarks. Outputs from a system are measured as part of the quality control process.

For example, the supplier’s raw materials may be the subject of QC efforts before they are incorporated into the final product. The quality assurance system for quality management may need audits of suppliers and batch sampling of raw materials to guarantee consistent safety and efficacy of inputs.

Production (QA) vs. Assurance (QC)

The end outcome of quality assurance work is a plan for making excellent items. It entails creating guidelines for creating, producing, packaging, marketing, and selling products.

QC is the process of checking the quality of a product after it has been made but before it is sold to the public.

Whole Group (QA) vs. Dedicated Employees (QC)

The entire crew takes part in the quality control procedures. Following standard operating procedures (SOPs) for quality assurance (QA) is the responsibility of every employee in a life sciences company. While the quality management system (QMS) is normally the leadership team’s and quality unit’s duty, QA activities encompass standards for training, documentation, and review across the workforce.

QC is often the duty of certain individuals inside the business whose jobs include following SOPs for product testing. The QC team documents their findings from product testing, and process validation by the SOPs established for quality control.

An Electronic Quality Management System’s Importance in the QA/QC Process. It is not possible to forego quality assurance or quality control. It is hard to decide which quality assurance method is more important, but the same is true for quality control. QA entails setting standards and practices to create a safe, effective process. The product is proven to be reliable by the QC processes.

Life sciences businesses should “close the loop” on quality management processes using QC to guide QA. When defects are found, an inquiry must be launched to determine where the QA methods fell short so that we can develop better guidelines.

When included in an enterprise quality management system (eQMS), QC and QA work together to ensure the highest quality across the production cycle. A single, cloud-based QMS for life sciences may integrate processes for ensuring and regulating enhancing quality through CAPA management, document control, training, and complaint handling across the product life cycle.

Conclusion

There are significant differences between quality control and quality assurance, which are essential to effective quality management. This article explores the differences in organizational perception of both terms. QC focuses on the final result, while QA examines the process from beginning to end.

Performing quality control checks means examining something (a product or service) to ensure it’s up to par. To ensure the product or service is up to par, you must resolve any problems. Its ultimate goal is to spot problems before they get out of hand.