Overview

The evolution of quality theory and practice has created a number of tools that may be applied to managing project quality. The tools described in these chapters constitute a set that is generally relevant to project management. Other quality tools may be useful, depending on the project situation. Tools described here fall into five categories, including tools for:

• Collecting data

• Understanding data

• Understanding processes

• Analyzing processes

• Solving problems

The set includes the seven basic tools of quality described by Ishikawa in his book Guide to Quality Control.

• Check sheet

• Graph

• Histogram

• Pareto chart

• Scatter diagram

• Control chart

• Cause and effect diagram

Seven additional tools are:

• Flow chart

• Run chart

• Brainstorming

• Affinity diagram

• Nominal group technique and multivoting

• Force field analysis

• Pillar diagram

The set also includes two tools, compliance matrix and peer review, that are related to general management, but are so common in use and so relevant to project quality management that any discussion would be incomplete without them.

Tools for Collecting Data

Improper or incomplete collection of data is a fundamental error with an effect that may be magnified many times by subsequent action. Data may be collected in an ad hoc fashion by a quick scan, word of mouth, or even assumption. All of these methods yield unsatisfactory results. A more deliberate method is necessary.