Quality assurance (QA) focuses on the processes and systems designed to help work meet requirements consistently. Quality control (QC) checks whether a particular product, service, or other output actually meets those requirements. Organizations use both: sound processes help prevent problems, while checks identify problems that still occur.
QA vs. QC at a glance
| Comparison | Quality assurance (QA) | Quality control (QC) |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Processes and systems that support consistent conformity | Whether outputs fulfill stated requirements |
| Typical question | Are we organizing the work so requirements can be met consistently? | Does this result meet the requirements? |
| Useful shorthand | Process-oriented and preventive | Output-oriented and verification-focused |
| Examples | Documenting procedures, training, and planning or conducting quality-system and process audits | Measuring, examining, or testing an output and comparing it with requirements |
| Relationship | A broad quality-management activity | Often treated as a subset of QA activities |
These distinctions follow the explanations from ASQ and ISO. ASQ notes that the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, so it is useful to define them in the context of a particular organization.
What quality assurance means
QA is the planned, systematic work that gives confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled. ISO describes it as process-oriented: the organization considers how work is set up to help products, services, and processes meet defined requirements consistently. ASQ likewise places QA within quality management and emphasizes confidence that requirements will be fulfilled.
In practical terms, QA might include documenting a process, assigning responsibilities, training people to follow it, and planning how the process will be assessed. QA is not simply paperwork, nor does it have to happen only before work begins. A quality system can include checks and feedback that help improve processes over time.
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What quality control means
QC is the operational work of fulfilling quality requirements by checking outputs against them. The check may involve measuring, examining, or testing a characteristic and comparing the result with a specification or acceptance criterion.
QC is not limited to a final inspection after all work is complete. Checks can take place while work is underway or when a deliverable is ready, depending on the requirements and process. The central question is whether the output being checked meets the stated criteria.
How QA and QC work together
QA and QC address different parts of the same quality-management goal. QA helps make the work repeatable and suitable for meeting requirements; QC provides evidence about whether a given result meets them. A well-designed process cannot establish that every output is conforming without appropriate verification, and inspecting outputs alone does not make the process that produced them reliable.
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The shorthand “QA prevents; QC detects” can help explain the difference, but it is not an absolute rule. QC can happen during a process, and QA systems can include checks. ASQ describes QC as typically a subset of QA activities, while also noting that organizations sometimes use the terms differently.
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Manufacturing
QA might establish the production method, define responsibilities, document procedures, and plan process audits. QC might measure or test a finished item, or an item in production, against its specifications. These are illustrations of the general distinction, not claims about a particular manufacturer’s practices.
Software and document work
For a software release, QA might define how changes are reviewed and released. QC might inspect a particular build against acceptance criteria. For a report, QA might establish a repeatable review process, while QC checks that specific report for required content, accuracy, or formatting.
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Services
The service itself may not be a tangible object that can be inspected, but quality requirements still apply. A service organization may control documents or physical items involved in delivering the service, such as a report or a rented item. The distinction between organizing the work and checking the resulting output remains useful even when the main service is intangible.
Audit vs. inspection: what is the difference?
An audit is a planned, independent, documented assessment against criteria. It can assess conformity of a system, process, product, or service. In ASQ’s explanation, auditing is part of QA activity.
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An inspection measures, examines, or tests characteristics against requirements. It is a QC activity when used to determine whether an output fulfills those requirements. An audit may examine whether an inspection process is being followed; that does not make the audit and the inspection the same thing.
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Who is responsible for QA and QC?
The terms describe functions, not a universal division of labor. One organization may assign QA and QC to distinct roles or teams; another may distribute the work across people who design, perform, review, or deliver the work. Job titles and boundaries vary, so clarify what a role means in its own organization rather than assuming that only a specialized department owns quality.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How standards fit in
ISO 9000:2015 is a concepts-and-vocabulary reference for quality management. ISO defines quality as “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfils requirements,” as cited in its overview of quality management. The ISO 9000 family provides a quality-management framework; ASQ describes ISO 9001 as the international standard specifying quality-management-system requirements.
Knowing these standards helps explain the vocabulary, but a general explanation of QA and QC does not establish that any particular organization is certified or compliant. The appropriate requirements depend on the organization and its context.
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