Quality Management
Excellence isn't an accident. It's designed.
Quality Philosophy
What Quality Means
External quality: What the client sees
- Meets requirements
- Works correctly
- Delivered on time
- Professional presentation
Internal quality: How we work
- Clean, maintainable code/documents
- Clear processes
- Reusable assets
- Knowledge captured
Both matter. External quality is visible; internal quality enables consistency.
The Cost of Poor Quality
- Rework wastes margin
- Defects damage reputation
- Unhappy clients don't return
- Team morale suffers
Prevention is cheaper than correction.
Quality Built In
At Project Start
Define quality criteria:
- What does "done" look like?
- What are acceptance criteria?
- What standards apply?
- Who signs off?
Set up quality practices:
- Review checkpoints
- Testing approach
- Documentation standards
- Feedback loops
During Delivery
Every deliverable:
- Created against clear requirements
- Self-reviewed before sharing
- Peer reviewed when appropriate
- Client reviewed with clear criteria
- Revised based on feedback
- Final accepted and documented
At Phase Gates
Quality gates verify:
- Deliverables complete and accepted
- Quality criteria met
- No critical open issues
- Client satisfied with phase
- Ready for next phase
Quality Practices
Self-Review
Before sharing any work:
Content:
- Does it answer the question/meet the requirement?
- Is the logic sound?
- Are facts accurate?
- Is it complete?
Form:
- Spelling and grammar
- Consistent formatting
- Professional appearance
- Easy to understand
Rule: If you wouldn't put your name on it, don't send it.
Peer Review
When to use:
- Important deliverables
- Complex analysis
- Client-facing documents
- Code/technical work
How to review:
- Fresh eyes (not the author)
- Against requirements
- Check both content and form
- Constructive feedback
Review checklist:
- Meets stated requirements
- Logic is sound
- No obvious errors
- Professionally presented
- I would put my name on this
Client Review
Set up for success:
- Clear acceptance criteria
- Specific feedback requested
- Reasonable review timeline
- Easy to provide feedback
Handle feedback well:
- Thank them (even for criticism)
- Clarify if unclear
- Respond to all points
- Track to resolution
Quality Gates
What They Are
Checkpoints where we verify quality before proceeding.
Standard Gates
| Gate | When | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Exit | End of Discovery | Findings accepted, requirements clear |
| Design Approval | End of Design | Solution signed off |
| Build Complete | End of Build | All features developed |
| UAT Complete | End of Test | User acceptance |
| Go-Live Ready | Before Deploy | All readiness criteria met |
Gate Review Process
-
Prepare
- Compile evidence of criteria met
- Document any exceptions
- Prepare for questions
-
Review
- Present status
- Discuss any concerns
- Get explicit go/no-go
-
Document
- Record decision
- Note any conditions
- Update project records
When to Stop
No-go if:
- Critical criteria not met
- Quality issues unresolved
- Client hasn't accepted
- Team isn't confident
Better to delay than deliver poor quality.
Common Quality Issues
Issue: Scope Ambiguity
Signs: "That's not what I meant"
Prevention:
- Clear requirements upfront
- Written acceptance criteria
- Regular validation
- Prototype/mockup early
Issue: Inconsistent Work
Signs: Quality varies by person
Prevention:
- Standards and templates
- Peer review
- Training
- Reusable components
Issue: Last-Minute Rush
Signs: Errors from time pressure
Prevention:
- Realistic scheduling
- Buffer for review
- Incremental delivery
- Early warning on delays
Issue: Assumption Errors
Signs: Built wrong thing correctly
Prevention:
- Validate assumptions explicitly
- Show work in progress
- Regular client touchpoints
- Don't assume, ask
Quality Metrics
Track These
| Metric | What It Shows | Target |
|---|---|---|
| First-time acceptance | Work accepted without revision | >80% |
| Rework percentage | Time spent fixing | <10% |
| Defects found post-delivery | Quality escapes | <5% |
| Client satisfaction | Perceived quality | High |
Inspect and Adapt
Weekly:
- Any quality issues this week?
- Root causes?
- What to do differently?
Per project:
- Quality retrospective
- Lessons learned
- Process improvements
Quality Culture
Leadership's Role
- Model quality behavior
- Don't accept "good enough"
- Recognize quality work
- Invest in prevention
Team's Role
- Own your quality
- Review peers' work
- Speak up about concerns
- Continuously improve
The Standard
Every deliverable represents empress.
Before it leaves our hands, ask:
- Would I be proud to show this?
- Does it meet our standard?
- Would I pay for this?
If not, fix it.
Resources
- How We Deliver - Delivery methodology
- Templates - Standard templates
- Status Reporting Guide - Communication quality