Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are two main aspects of software testing in product quality management which both have similar concepts. Quality Assurance is a process of managing the quality of a product while Quality Control is employed to verify the quality of a product. That said, they do have differences.
What are Quality Assurance and Quality Control?
It’s important to understand the meaning of each quality management aspects;
Quality Assurance (QA):
Quality Assurance otherwise known as QA Testing is defined as a process of assuring that quality requirements will be fulfilled. This is carried out to ensure companies provide high-quality products for their esteemed customers.
You will learn more about QA if you enroll in quality assurance testing training.
Quality Control (QC):
Quality Control otherwise known as QC Testing is defined as systematic test procedures used to verify the safety and effectiveness of a product. The main aim of Quality Control is to ensure that products meet the expected requirements by reviewing and testing their functionality.
Find software quality assurance course tutorials online to learn more about QC.
In this guide, we will have an in-depth look at the major differences between Quality Assurance and Quality Control. These differences include their meaning, their aim, their focus, and how each process is carried out. Furthermore, we will have a look at their respective procedure differences, the tools used, and the statistical technique applied for each practice.
Major Differences Between Quality Assurance and Quality Control
I have decided to tabulate the differences for easy read and better understanding.
| QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) | QUALITY CONTROL (QC) | |
| 1. | QA is a process that offers a level of assurance that the quality of product requested will be achieved | QC is a procedure that ensures that the quality of the product requested is fulfilled |
| 2. | QA aims to prevent any form of defects in a product | QC aims to identify products defects and fix it |
| 3. | QA is a preventive technique | QC is a corrective technique |
| 4. | QA is process-oriented in such a way that it focuses on preventing quality issues in products | QC is product-oriented in such a way that it focuses on identifying quality issues in products |
| 5. | QA is an action carried out to ensure quality during the manufacture of products. | QC is an action carried out to inspect the products after they have been manufactured. |
| 6. | QA is a method used to manage product quality verification | QC is a method used to verify product quality validation |
| 7. | QA is a form of proactive measure | QC is a form of a reactive measure |
| 8. | The goal of QA is to improve the manufacture and testing process to prevent issues arising during the development stage of products | The goal of QC is to identify issues that may arise after a product is developed and also solve the issue before the product is launched |
| 9. | QA execution is less time consuming | QA execution is more time consuming |
| 10. | QA is all about verification activities | QC is all about validation activities |
| 11. | Statistical tools and techniques are applied in the QA process which is known as Statistical Process Control | Statistical tools and techniques are applied in QC products output which is known as Statistical Quality Control |
Finally, it is important to understand that every member of the production team involved in developing products is responsible for quality assurance while the responsibility of quality control lies on the shoulder of the particular team that tests products for defects. These are the major differences between QA and QC.
Processes and Procedures Involved in QA and QC
Here is a breakdown of the processes and procedures applied in QA and QC;
| Quality Assurance Process | Quality Control Procedure |
| AuditingDocumentationChange ControlPersonnel TrainingSupply ManagementInvestigation Procedure | Product SamplingBatch InspectionLaboratory TestingValidation Testing |
Quality assurance is applied in the software development life cycle while Quality Control is applied in the software testing life cycle. You can study more about this by enrolling in a QA certification training course online. You can also apply for jobs in the quality management field if you’ve undergone quality assurance testing training in this field of study.
Summary
Science and technology companies are constantly looking for ways to provide high-quality standard products and services. Hence, they turn to QA and QC experts in the quality management field for the best possible solution.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control both play vital roles in helping these companies achieve their aim of providing high-quality products and services but there’s always a case of finding it difficult to understand the differences.
This guide is a good tutorial anyone can study if they desire to understand the role QA and QC play in quality management and their respective differences.
