The basis of ISO 9001 is quality and continuous improvement; organizations find ways to reduce risks and improve their operations for better product or service output. There are many steps to achieving quality, from training employees to collaborating with ISO 9001 consultants. One thing is absolutely critical, however– the understanding of quality standards, terms, and requirements.

 

When diving into the world of quality, organizations are going to come across many terms and phrases that might be new to them. Three key ones? Quality Management, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control. These terms are frequently used throughout not only the ISO 9001 standard, but general business quality practices across the globe. Let’s discuss the difference between each of these phrases so that you can have a better understanding of what makes them individually important.

 

 

Examining the Definitions

 

What is Quality Management?

 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines Quality Management as the following:

 

“[Q]uality management is about creating a culture of excellence that permeates every facet of a company’s operations. It helps drive continuous improvement, establish compliance with regulatory authorities, while ensuring that quality is built into every aspect of your product or service. This, in turn, results in increased customer satisfaction, loyalty and, most importantly, repeat business.”

 

Quality Management Systems provide the framework for your organization to streamline processes and procedures for ensured efficiency and effectiveness. Every organization must customize its QMS to suit its specific needs, establishing formal policies, processes, and procedures aimed at improving customer satisfaction. By providing a clear roadmap, the ISO 9001 QMS helps standardize and enhance quality across critical areas that are essential to business operations.

 

What is Quality Assurance?

 

Quality Assurance can be defined as a part of Quality Management that incorporates “all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system that can be demonstrated to provide confidence that a product or service will fulfill requirements for quality.”

 

Essentially, Quality Assurance is meant to provide confidence to internal and external parties that quality will be delivered at every step of operations. QA is vital for earning customer trust through consistency, reliability, and strong quality management, especially in a rapidly evolving global market. Clients aren’t the only ones who are impacted by QA; suppliers, stakeholders, government agencies, and anyone else involved in business operations must be assured quality in every single phase of your product or service’s life cycle.

 

ISO 9001 provides the foundational framework for building a Quality Management System, while Quality Assurance represents the practical implementation of processes and measures aligned with its standards. Pursuing ISO 9001 certification demonstrates an organization’s commitment to Quality Assurance and its dedication to continuous improvement.

 

What is Quality Control?

 

Quality Control is a part of Quality Management that can be defined as: specific actions taken to assess product or service quality at various stages of their lifecycle, including inspections or testing, to ensure consistent quality standards are met and fulfill requirements.

 

Quality Assurance focuses on the processes and procedures that ensure a product or service meets quality standards, while Quality Control is the inspection aspect that verifies the final output. Quality Control involves specific actions, such as inspection, measurement, and testing, to ensure products or services meet predefined criteria at various stages of their lifecycle. This helps identify and correct nonconformities before the product or service reaches the customer.

 

Within the framework of ISO 9001, Quality Control is a crucial component of a broader Quality Management System. By integrating quality control checks throughout production, an organization ensures that each stage adheres to established standards, culminating in a final inspection before release. This approach ensures consistent quality and compliance with ISO 9001 standards.

 

Why are these unique terms important?

 

Effectively implementing ISO 9001:2015 requires the careful integration of Quality Management, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control to establish a comprehensive system that embeds quality throughout your organization.

 

Quality Management principles emphasize top management commitment, continual improvement, evidence-based decisions, and meeting customer requirements, making quality an intrinsic part of the company culture. Quality Assurance ensures that processes are well-documented, regularly reviewed, and consistently executed. Through audits and management reviews, organizations validate compliance with ISO 9001:2015, building stakeholder confidence in their ability to deliver quality products or services. Quality Control focuses on inspections and tests at key stages in the product or service lifecycle to identify and address deviations from quality standards.

 

Together, these elements create a unified system that supports continual improvement, risk management, and customer satisfaction. By adopting the ISO 9001:2015 standard, organizations can improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, enhance customer loyalty, and gain a competitive edge in the market.

 

Conclusion: Understanding the Difference Makes A Difference

 

Understanding the distinctions between Quality Management, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control is essential for effectively implementing ISO 9001:2015. By integrating these components, organizations can create an empowering Quality Management System that fosters continual improvement, risk mitigation, and customer satisfaction.

 

Being thoroughly educated on these key terms and their roles will set your organization on the path to long-term success. Start enhancing operational efficiency today by utilizing this knowledge and overall comprehension of quality standards.

 

The ISO 9001 Group’s ISO 9001 quality assurance and control consultants are management system experts that understand the steps to achieve ISO 9001 certification or compliance. We can help your organization design, develop and implement an ISO 9001:2015 certification ready management system from the ground up. Contact us to start improving today.