The Importance of a Quality Plan in Project Management
Utilizing Quality Plan to Measure Up to Your Client’s Expectation
The quality plan is developed by the project manager and project team members to determine the work breakdown structure (WBS). This structure is created by decomposing the project objectives into smaller, manageable activities. The WBS takes the form of a tree diagram, with the workflow broken down into increasingly detailed levels until it reaches specific tasks.
The quality plan is documented and implemented in a manner that fulfills the customer's requirements and expectations. It provides assurance that the project manager will meet the client's needs and serves as a clearly defined plan for delivering a quality product or service (Kerzner, 2013).
However, total quality management (TQM) has not yet been fully established as a unified construct because the multiple dimensions of quality make it difficult to reach a comprehensive conclusion about its relationship with organizational effectiveness. For several decades, TQM has been an integral part of organizational literature, encompassing various management practices and recommendations. Evidence suggests that TQM can improve the effectiveness of modern organizations.
Among other reasons, organizations approach quality as an ongoing process in which work processes are continuously improved based on lessons learned. These improvements help enhance future products and services, retain existing clients, re-engage former clients, and attract new clients (Project Management Institute, 2013).
Incorporating Quality Management Initiatives
In terms of priority, quality management is as important as cost and schedule management. However, the project manager has primary responsibility for managing quality throughout the project. The measurement and assessment of quality may be delegated to the Quality Assurance department or, in some cases, to the assistant project manager.
Between 12% and 15% of the project budget is allocated to labor within the project office, while 3% to 5% is allocated to quality management. Consequently, between 20% and 30% of the labor budget is attributed to quality management.
Six quality management concepts can help organizations achieve project objectives: quality policy, quality objectives, quality assurance, quality control, quality audits, and the quality program plan.
The Project Management Institute's website provides additional guidance on developing and maintaining an effective project management quality plan. For further information, visit the Project Management Institute's website at www.pmi.org and consult A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
