Project management is a field where ensuring the highest quality results is crucial for success. Quality tools for project management play an essential role in maintaining high standards and ensuring that every project meets or exceeds expectations. These tools provide structured methodologies for identifying potential issues, implementing effective solutions, and enhancing overall efficiency.
Understanding and making use of these excellent tools can revolutionize your project management techniques, regardless of experience level. From visual aids like flowcharts and histograms to analytical tools such as control charts and Pareto charts, each tool offers unique benefits that contribute to superior project outcomes.
In this blog post we will explore a range of essential quality tools for project management, their applications, and how they can be leveraged to drive project success.
What are Quality Tools for Project Management?
As the name suggests, quality tools in project management help companies assess the qualitative standards of their products and services. It helps them identify the commonly occurring problems in their operations and their root causes and analyze data regarding the same to devise effective solutions.
This helps organizations align their offerings per the clients' or customers' expectations, check lapses from the team’s end, and enhance overall productivity and efficiency.
Each of the 3 processes have their own tools, but there are some tools that can be used in all the 3 processes. These 7 basic quality tools are examples of shareable tools :
It is a graphical description of workflow steps. So it can describe the steps of any process through graphical symbols which are connected to each other by paths that represent the direction of the workflow. The symbols can be circles, rectangles, diamonds or any other shapes which must be predefined to make the flowchart easy for understanding.
We begin the flowchart by the start node, which is often represented as a circle shape. Then we represent each action or step we do by a rectangle shape. When we want to make a decision or a test that will give more than one result, each result will direct us to a different path with a different action. Flowcharts are very useful when we want to make a correction for any process. It helps us eliminate redundancy and unuseful work steps. Additionally, they are highly beneficial when creating the project statement of work, especially when combined with project quality management tools that ensure the process adheres to quality standards.
2. Pareto Diagram
It is a special vertical chart that is divided into categories that show all possible probabilities or events that can occur. Categories are ordered by the frequency of each category from high frequency on the left side of the vertical axis to the low frequency on the right side of it. Pareto depends on the rule of 80/20, which proves that 80/100 of problems come from 20/100 of causes. So when we know that 20/100 of the causes and give more attention and resources to avoid them, we will solve 80/100 of the errors and problems.
So Pareto Diagram is very useful when we use it with a cause and effect diagram (also called Ishikawa or fishbone). The below example shows Pareto Diagram for the reasons that lead to delays in a software project.
3. Histogram
It is a tool for showing the central tendency, statistical distribution, and dispersion of a given set of measurements that will be shown on a vertical bar chart. It is very useful when we want to know which categories have a larger frequency. We can use it in many applications such as defining the resources that will perform the project work by using Resource Histogram which is shown below
We can do the same thing with one resource in a timely manner such as dividing the categories by months and defining the number of one resource such as senior developer via each month of the project lifecycle.
4. Cause and Effect Diagram (Ishikawa or Fishbone)
It is a diagram that represents the cause and effect of a fishbone. Its head represents the problem or objective and the body represents the causes of the problem or the actions that should be performed to reach the goal or objective at the head of the fishbone. When we find a problem with any process such as a process variation or an increasing number of defects, we can use the fishbone to find the source of the problem.
Each resource can also be divided into a number of resources, till we reach the original resources of the problem. The Fishbone problem statement often comes from the Control Chart when its measurements point to a problem in the process stability. The following diagram shows the cause and effect diagram for the delay of software projects
5. Checksheets (Tally sheets)
The check sheet is a sheet that contains items of inspections and tests and the attribute that each test can result in. The acceptance criteria of each test must be listed on the sheet to be a guide for determining if the inspected item of the sample such as a piece of code in the software project has passed a test item (such as a unit test). Then we gather the frequencies of each defect and represent them in Pareto Chart.
6. Scatter Diagram
A Scatter diagram (called also Correlation Diagram) is a diagram represented by two axes X and Y. So any measurement or data shown in Scatter Diagram is represented by a pair of (X, and Y). The correlation between x and y shown is based on the rule that Y is dependent on X but X is not dependent on Y. So there are many types of correlations such as positive correlation (proportional), negative correlation (Inverse), or pattern of no correlation (Zero Correlation). An example of a positive correlation is- the weight of the human and its relation to his age (between one year and 40). We find that the weight of the human depends on and is affected by age (an increase in age will lead to an increase in weight but the reverse is incorrect). So we will consider the age on is X axis and the weight on is Y axis. In a negative correlation, when X is increased, Y decreases.
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7. Control Chart
When we want to determine if a process is stable or not, we use a control chart. It consists of-
Upper Specification Limits (USL) and Lower Specification Limits (LSL) which come from specification
Upper Control Limits(UCL) and Lower Control Limits (LCL) which come from statistical calculation +_3 standard deviation above and below mean
Mean which equals UCL+LCL/2
The process is considered unstable if one point exceeds the UCL or LCL or seven consecutive points are above or below the mean.
When we ensure that the process is unstable, we perform corrective action and monitor the result of these actions to measure its effect on the process stability.
So these 7 tools are very useful and can be used throughout the project lifecycle to plan and maintain the quality of associated activities.
List of Quality Tools
Here are the top 6 quality tools for project management that most companies use:
Checklist
A checklist consists of a list of identified issues, items, points to consider, etc., that must be completed. As employees find a suitable solution for each item, they tick it and move on to the next one.
Later, they can refer to the checklist to assess whether the incorporated changes brought any noticeable improvement in the product/service quality.
Cause & Effect (Root Cause) Diagram
Companies can use cause and effect (or Ishikawa) diagrams when they wish to identify the probable root cause for a problem. It is one of the most logical ways for them to visualize how the effect came into being and comes in handy while product designing or planning specific business ideas.
A cause-and-effect diagram can be simple, consisting only of a few elements. However, for complicated projects, the diagram can have complex visualizations with complicated branching.
Cause and effect diagrams are also known as fishbone diagrams due to their fishbone structure.
Affinity Grouping Diagrams
Affinity grouping diagrams are used by companies to organize large volumes of information into common themes. They usually employ this tool after a brainstorming session to generate and consolidate information on complex issues, problems, products or services, etc., and group them as per their similarity or affinity.
In real–life scenarios, businesses employ affinity grouping diagrams while analyzing survey results, organizing massive data sets, developing connections between various themes, etc.
Process Map
Process maps or flowcharts help companies get a visual representation of a series of events that can lead to particular or multiple outcomes. They can show decision paths, activities, parallel paths, branching loops, and the overall processing order of a company’s operational procedures.
This can help them understand and estimate the cost of quality, identify delays, repetitions, and bottlenecks, and improve overall process efficiency.
Graphs
Graphs are one of the simplest and most widely used quality management tools. They enable businesses to assess whether their production processes are performing as per expectations over a specific period of time. Additionally, it allows companies to record the deviation level from the standard specifications.
Fishbone Diagram
Benefits of Using Quality Tools for Project Management
Here are some of the benefits of using quality tools for project management:
Boosts product and service quality.
Enhances efficiency and productivity of business processes.
It improves risk management, minimizes waste, and leads to better resource utilization.
Increases customer satisfaction and enables companies to gain a competitive edge.
Top Cities where KnowledgeHut Conduct Project Management Certification Training Course Online
In my experience, utilizing quality tools for project management has proven to be a game-changer in enhancing a company’s product and service quality, overall operational efficiency, and profitability. To harness the full potential of these tools, I realized that acquiring the right skills is essential.
In my journey, I found that enrolling in KnowledgeHut Project Management classes was an excellent decision. KnowledgeHut offers a wide range of certification programs designed to equip professionals like you and me with the expertise needed to manage our responsibilities as project managers effectively.
I highly recommend exploring KnowledgeHut’s project management courses today; they can elevate your career to new heights.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a quality tool in project management?
A quality tool is a technique or method used to improve the quality of a product or process. In project management, quality tools help teams identify, analyze, and address potential issues to ensure project success.
2. What is Ishikawa in PMP?
Ishikawa diagrams, also known as fishbone diagrams or cause-and-effect diagrams, are used to identify the root causes of a problem. They visualize the relationship between a problem and its potential causes, helping teams brainstorm and analyze potential solutions.
3. Who invented the 7 QC tools?
The 7 QC tools were developed by Japanese industrialists and quality experts in the mid-20th century. They are a set of simple but effective techniques for improving quality and process efficiency.
4. What is the 80/20 rule Pareto chart?
The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, suggests that 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. A Pareto chart is a bar chart that visually represents this concept, helping teams prioritize their efforts by focusing on the most significant factors contributing to a problem.
Kevin D.Davis
Blog Author
Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.
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7 Basic Quality Tools for Efficient Project Management
7 Basic Quality Tools for Efficient Project Management
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