A variable, symbol, or term potentially related to a specific context or mathematical representation, context-dependent.

Key points or measures in a process or project that signify critical quality aspects or performance indicators.

See Quality tools.

Q9000 series: Refers to ANSI/ISO/CiCC Q9000 series of standards, which is the verbatim American adoption of the 2000 edition of the ISO 9000 series of standards.

See Quality assurance.

A matrix or tool outlining quality assurance strategies, methodologies, or measures for ensuring product or service quality.

See Quality assurance agreement.

Quality assurance instruction.

See Quality Circle.

See Quality control chart.

Potentially an acronym or term related to specific quality measurement or assessment, context-dependent.

Potentially an acronym or term related to a quality improvement methodology or process, context-dependent.

QEDS Standards Group: The U.S. Standards Group on Quality, Environment, Dependability and Statistics consists of the members and leadership of organizations concerned with the development and effective use of generic and sector specific standards on quality control, assurance and management; environmental management systems and auditing, dependability and the application of statistical methods.

Qualität und Entwicklung in Praxen [Quality and Development in Practices]. German modular quality management system for doctor‘s offices that can be implemented one step at a time. It is used for the efficient and effective implementation of legal obligations in the individual practices. The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, together with employees from the national health medical organizations, doctors in private practice, psychotherapists, quality management experts, doctor‘s assistants and professional organizations, developed QEP.

See Quality Function Deployment.

See Quality indicator.

1. Quality management.

See Quality management representative.

See Quality management system.

Quality Management Center of the VDA, see VDA-QMC.

See Quality management representative.

See Quality management system.

Quality Policy Deployment. See Management by policy.

Quality Steering Committee.

Fulfillment of the requirements for the current condition that is verified in a unit. (On the basis of DIN 55350-11)

Process to demonstrate the suitability to fulfill specified requirements. The term “qualified” indicates the corresponding status. Qualification can relate to people, products, processes or systems, e.g., auditor qualification process, material qualification process. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Values of a characteristic that are assigned to a scale without stipulated intervals. (On the basis of DIN 55350-12)

Characteristics that allow statements such as yes/no or good/poor.

Qualitician: Someone who functions as a quality practitioner and a quality technician.

Quality: A subjective term for which each person or sector has its own definition. In technical usage, quality can have two meanings: 1) the characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs; 2) a product or service free of deficiencies. According to Joseph Juran, quality means “fitness for use”; according to Philip Crosby, it means “conformance to requirements.”

The proportion or percentage of defective or unusable items or materials produced within a manufacturing process.

Quality 4.0: Quality 4.0 brings together Industry 4.0’s advanced digital technologies with quality excellence to drive substantial performance and effectiveness improvements.

Part of quality management that is used to instill confidence that the quality requirements are fulfilled. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Contractual agreement between a supplier and its customer as a supplement to the purchase or supply agreements. A QAA contains agreements on the sequence organization and actions for quality assurance before, during and after production. For example, this includes the quality management system evaluation, system audits, first article inspections, evidence of process and machine capability, inspections, evidence, documents, complaint handling, guarantee regulations, handling technical changes and also product liability questions.

Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC): Two terms that have many interpretations because of the multiple definitions for the words “assurance” and “control.” For example, “assurance” can mean the act of giving confidence, the state of being certain or the act of making certain; “control” can mean an evaluation to indicate needed corrective responses, the act of guiding or the state of a process in which the variability is attributable to a constant system of chance causes. (For a detailed discussion on the multiple definitions, see ANSI/ISO/CiCC A3534-2, Statistics—Vocabulary and Symbols—Statistical Quality Control.) One definition of quality assurance is: 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. One definition for quality control is: the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality. Often, however, “quality assurance” and “quality control” are used interchangeably, referring to the actions performed to ensure the quality of a product, service or process.

Quality audit: A systematic, independent process of gathering objective evidence to determine whether audit criteria are being met. Audits are based on a sample and are independent of the system, process or product being audited, unlike verification activities, which are part of a process.

See Audit findings.

See Audit report.

See Audit types.

See Auditor.

Suitability of an organization or parts of an organization to realize a product that will fulfill the quality requirement for this unit.

Systematic influences no longer interfere with the process. The measured values vary only due to random influences. The distribution of the measured values is stable over time. It is possible to predict future measurement series. The process lies within the tolerance range and has sufficient safety margins to the limiting values.

Inherent characteristic of a product, process, or system that refers to a requirement. Inherent means “existing in a unit“, particularly when it involves a permanent characteristic. A characteristic that is assigned to a product, process, or system (e.g. the price or owner of a product) is not seen as a quality characteristic of that product, process, or system. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Quality circle: A quality improvement or self-improvement study group composed of a small number of employees (10 or fewer) and their supervisor. Quality circles originated in Japan, where they are called quality control circles.

Quality control: See “quality assurance/quality control.”

The quality control chart is a quality tool (Q7) for monitoring and controlling a manufacturing process on a statistical basis. Process data (measured values or performance data) are collected over a longer time and graphically represented with the help of a control chart (form with coordinate system). The mean value, warning limits, action limits and tolerance limits are drawn in ahead of time. The plot of the data makes it possible to draw conclusions about the process capability.

Charts or diagrams illustrating quality control processes, depicting steps, measures, or checkpoints in a production or service process.

Quality costs: The total costs of quality-related activities. Generally considered to be the sum of prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure costs.

A group or committee within an organization responsible for setting quality goals, standards, and overseeing quality-related initiatives.

Data regarding the quality of units. They provide information on the applied quality inspections, the general conditions that prevailed during the inspections, and possibly on the particular associated requirement while determining the quality. (On the basis of DIN 55350-11)

That part of the organizational structure that deals primarily with quality management activities. On the basis of the quality policy, the quality department specifies objectives and responsibilities in order to satisfy legitimate customer requirements. Its assignment is the planning, control, assurance and improvement while using all available resources, such as finances, personnel and equipment. In a certain sense, quality management is the task of all employees. In contrast, the quality department means those departments, locations and inspection bodies in which quality control activities predominate.

Unit that contributes to quality. (On the basis of DIN 55350-11)

Quality engineering: The analysis of a manufacturing system at all stages to maximize the quality of the process itself and the products it produces.

Quality record that serves as evidence that the quality requirement placed on a product is fulfilled.

Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications (QuEST) Forum: A partnership of telecommunications suppliers and service providers. The QuEST Forum developed TL 9000 (see listing).

Method in quality management that is used to conceive, manufacture and sell products and services that are what the customer really wants. All departments are included in this process. Yoji Akao from Japan developed this method as a basic concept for quality planning. The QFD quality method is one of the methods that is used to prevent nonconformities. It is used during the product planning phase. QFD is often called the “voice of the customer“. This is because QFD‘s systematic approach does not end with the comparison of customer requirements and product characteristics. Instead, it continues through to the observation of process characteristics in line with the requirements.

Quality function deployment (QFD): A structured method in which customer needs or expectations are translated into appropriate technical requirements for each stage of product development and production. The QFD process is often referred to as listening to the voice of the customer.

Part of quality management that focuses on increasing the ability to fulfill quality requirements. The requirements can involve any aspect such as effectiveness, efficiency or traceability, (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Relative or scaled characteristic value to assess quality; it is determined according to the selected performance measurement system.

Inspection to determine the degree to which a unit fulfils the quality requirement. (On the basis of DIN 55350-17)

Proportion of nonconforming units or number of nonconformities in percent in relation to the lot or sampling unit. (On the basis of ISO 3534-2:2013)

See PDCA cycle.

Quality loss function: A parabolic approximation of the quality loss that occurs when a quality characteristic deviates from its target value. The quality loss function is expressed in monetary units: the cost of deviating from the target increases quadratically the farther the quality characteristic moves from the target. The formula used to compute the quality loss function depends on the type of quality characteristic being used. The quality loss function was first introduced in this form by Genichi Taguchi.

Losses in processes and activities caused by the use of unsuitable resources, the failure to exhaust available resources, and the waste of available resources.

Maintenance activities and strategies aimed at sustaining or improving the quality of processes or products within Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

Coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality. Normally this also includes establishing the quality policy and quality objectives, quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Quality management (QM): Managing activities and resources of an organization to achieve objectives and prevent nonconformances.

Agreement formally concluded between the customer or client and the supplier or contractor to stipulate the responsibilities for quality management jobs before and after the passing of risk.

Part of quality management intended to generate trust that the quality requirements can be fulfilled.

See Document.

See Quality element.

See Management review.

Management element in which the rules regarding management in implementing the policy are defined.

The seven principles of quality management systems are described in the ISO 9000:2015 standard. They constitute the basis for the standards on quality management systems in the ISO 9000 family:

See Procedure instruction.

Representative of top management. Management member appointed by top management. He/she has the authority and responsibility to introduce and maintain a quality management system.

Management system used to direct and control an organization with regard to quality. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Quality management system (QMS): A formal system that documents the structure, processes, roles, responsibilities and procedures required to achieve effective quality management.

Document in which an organization‘s quality management system is defined and anchored. Quality manuals can vary in detail and format depending on an organization‘s size and complexity. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

See Record.

Estimate acquired during an inspection by variables to describe the distribution of actual values with regard to a limiting value, limiting amount of deviation, limiting amount, or limiting quantile.

Something regarding quality that is aimed for or to be attained. As a rule, quality objectives are based on the organization’s quality policy. They are usually specified for relevant functions and levels in the organization. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Quality plan: Documented information that provides the activities or methods to be taken to achieve objectives and meet specified requirements.

Part of quality management. This part includes setting the quality objectives, necessary operational processes and related resources in order to reach the quality objectives. Preparing quality management plans can be a part of quality planning. (On the basis of ISO 9000:2015)

Quality policy: A documented statement of commitment or intent to be implemented to achieve quality.

Optimization of the quality capability. Quality promotion is a part of quality improvement. (On the basis of DIN 55350-11)

Quality rate: See “first pass yield.”

See Record.

See Requirement.

Quality score chart: A chart for evaluating the stability of a process. The quality score is the weighted sum of the count of events of various classifications in which each classification is assigned a weight.

Quality tool: An instrument or technique to support and improve the activities of quality management and improvement.

The “Q7“, also called the seven basic tools of quality, are a collection of quality tools. They were originally compiled to use in the quality circles of Kaoru Ishikawa. These are visualization aids. They are used to detect, understand and finally solve problems. In detail, these are: Inspection list, histogram, quality control chart, Pareto diagram, scatter diagram, brainstorming, and cause and effect diagram (Ishikawa diagram).

Quality trilogy: A three-pronged approach to managing for quality. The three legs are quality planning (developing the products and processes required to meet customer needs), quality control (meeting product and process goals) and quality improvement (achieving unprecedented levels of performance).

A process that is capable of realizing a unit that fulfills the quality requirements for this unit. (DGQ Volume 11-04:2009). The CP and CPK values are indicators used to review processes. The Cp value indicates the dispersion of a quantitative variable with respect to the specification limits. The Cpk value additionally takes the position of the limiting values into account. These indicators are defined in such a way that a process that is just barely usable is assigned a value of “1“.

Prevention, inspection and nonconformity costs that arise in the framework of quality management. These also include costs for quality audits conducted by customers and certifying bodies. (On the basis of DIN 55350-11)

Document that contains instructions for an activity in quality management, a quality requirement for a product, or results of quality inspections.

Points of a distribution function (values of a measuring scale) that describe the set relationships of all points (all measured values). A common quantile is the quartile that divides all points (values) into 4 uniform sets. For example, 25% of all points (measured values) lie below the 1st quartile, 75% lie above the 3rd quartile. The minimum quantile is the name for a specified characteristic value that describes a specified lower limiting proportion and an actual quantile is the name for a characteristic value that is established for a stipulated distribution proportion.

Values of a characteristic that are assigned to a scale with stipulated intervals. (On the basis of DIN 55350-12)

Measurable and countable data.

A statistical term representing values that divide a dataset into four equal parts, each containing a quarter of the data.

The three values dividing a dataset into four equal parts: lower quartile, median, and upper quartile, indicating data distribution.

Queue time: The time a product spends in a line awaiting the next design, order processing or fabrication step.

Quick changeover: The ability to change tooling and fixtures rapidly (usually within minutes) so multiple products can be run on the same machine.

Quincunx: A tool that creates frequency distributions. Beads tumble over numerous horizontal rows of pins, which force the beads to the right or left. After a random journey, the beads are dropped into vertical slots. After many beads are dropped, a frequency distribution results. Quincunxes are often used in classrooms to simulate a manufacturing process. The quincunx was invented by English scientist Francis Galton in the 1890s.