ASQ - American Society for Quality

	ASQ A8402 Quality Management and Quality Assurance - Vocabulary Buy ASQ Collections Online subscriptions to multiple documents on various subjects Info To speak with an IHS Subject Matter Expert call 1-888-752-0334, outside the US/Canada call 303-397-2892. More Top ASQ Standards...

ASQ A8402 - Quality Management and Quality Assurance - Vocabulary

Introduction
Many ordinary words, in everyday use, are used in the quality field in a specific or restricted manner compared with the full range of dictionary definitions, due to such reasons as:

• the adopting of quality terminology by different sectors of business and industry to suit their specific perceived needs,
• the introduction of a multiplicity of terms by quality professionals in different industrial and economic section.

The intent of this American National Standard is to clarify and standardize the quality terms as they apply to the field of quality management. These terms and definitions are discussed and grouped together in the text according to logical topics.

They are also grouped in an alphabetical index at the end for convenience.

The word quality (2.1) in popular usage often means different things to different people. In this American National Standard quality is defined as the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy skated and implied needs.

There are many different usages of the word quality. These different usages create considerable confusion and misunderstanding.

Two such usages are "conformance to requirements" and "degree of excellence." "Conformance to requirements" leads people to argue that "quality costs less," which in some cases it does. Conversely, "degree of excellence'' implies that "quality costs more," which in some cases it does. in order to resolve some of the confusion in the usage of the work quality, another term grade (2.2) can be used to describe the degree of excellence. The term grade is used, when needed, to describe the sense of technical excellence. Grade reflects a planned or recognized difference in the requirements for quality. Although the different categories of grade do nor necessarily stand in rank order relationship to each other, grade indicators can readily be used in a rank order sense to describe the sense of technical excellence. An example of this usage is that it costs more to provide and run a five-star hotel than a boarding house.

The term product (i .4) is used throughout this American National Standard. It is the result of activities or paces and can be tangible or intangible, or a combination thereof. In current IS0 and ANSVASQC quality management standardization, products are classified in four generic product categories:

• hardware (e.g.. parts, components, assemblies),
• software (e:g., computer programs, procedures, information, data, records),
• processed materials (e.g., raw materials, liquids, solids, gases, sheets, wires),
• services (e.g., insurance, banking, transport).

It is recognized that products generally involve combinations of these generic product categories.

The terms and concepts presented in this American National Standard are intended to be applicable to any product. In this American National Standard, the term entity (1.1) includes the term product, but extends further to cover, for example, activity, process (1 .2), organization (1.7), or person. Confusion has arisen in understanding the terms quality control (3.4). quality assurance (3.5), quality management (3.2), and total quality management (3.7). This American National Standard is intended to clarify these concepts.

In simplified terms, quality control concerns the operational means to fulfill the quality requirements while quality assurance aims at providing confidence in this fulfillment, both within the organization and externally to customers (1.9) and authorities. Within American National Standards, the English terms "ensure" and "assure" are used in the following series:

"ensure" mans to make sure or certain, "assure" means to given confidence to oneself or to others.

Quality management includes both quality control and quality assurance, as well as the additional concepts of quality policy (3.1), quality planning (3.3), and quality improvement (3.8). Quality management operates throughout the quality system (3.6). These concepts can be extended to all parts of an organization.

Total quality management brings to these concepts a long-term global management strategy and the participation of all members of the organization for the benefit of the organization itself, its members, its customers, and society as a whole.

scope
This American National Standard defines the fundamental terms relating to quality concepts, as they apply to all areas, for the preparation and use of quality-related standards and for mutual understanding in international communications.

Terms and definitions
In the following definitions, the terms appearing in the alphabetical index are in bold type. Within each definition, reference is made to the number where they are defined.

The numbered terms and definitions are classified under the following main headings:

• general terms;
• terms related to quality;
• terms related to the quality system;
• terms related to tools and techniques.