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    Fishbone Diagram in Project Management: Guide to Root Cause Analysis & 6Ms

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    The fishbone diagram is one of the seven basic quality control tools. Though all these tools have their importance, the fishbone diagram is distinct.

    In Six Sigma, you use it in the “Analyze” phase of DMAIC. DMAIC stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.

    This diagram got the name Ishikawa because Japanese professor Kaoru Ishikawa developed it in 1960. Mr. Ishikawa was a famous expert in quality management.

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    Quality Vs Grade: Definitions & Differences

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    Grade and quality are two of the most commonly used terms in project management. Not just in this field either; you will use these terms on a daily basis. For example, people frequently say that this is a low-grade product, this is a high-grade product, this is a low-quality product, or this is a high-quality product.

    What does that actually mean?

    Does “low-grade” mean bad or undesirable and “high-grade” always mean good?

    To put it simply, no. low-grade and high-grade are not necessarily right or wrong, and that is what we are going to discuss in this blog post.

    Grade and quality are fascinating concepts; however, even professionals don’t understand their differences and mistakenly use them synonymously. They are not difficult terms to understand, we simply need to pay them a bit more attention.

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    Quality Control Vs Verify Scope

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    In the PMBOK Guide, fifth edition, the validate scope process has replaced the verify scope process; therefore, this post is obsolete. Please refer to my new blog post on quality control and validate scope.

    The quality control and verify scope processes are important for a project as they ensure that the deliverable is defect free and meets the user’s requirements.

    Since both processes involve inspection and testing many professionals get confused and think that they are the same. They have different objectives and are carried out with a different goal in mind.

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    What is a Scatter Diagram?

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    A scatter diagram is one of the seven basic tools of quality, but many professionals find it to be a difficult concept.

    Other charts use lines or bars to show data, while a scatter diagram uses dots. This may be confusing, but it is often easier to understand than lines and bars.

    In this blog post, I will explain the scatter diagram.

    A scatter plot, scatter graph, and correlation chart are other names for a scatter diagram.

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    Control Chart Vs Run Chart

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    In this blog post, we will discuss the control chart and the run chart. This is a request from Umasankar Natarajan, who is a visitor to my blog and asked me to write about the seven basic quality control tools.

    Although a run chart is not one of these basic quality control tools, knowing it will help you understand the control chart.

    Control charts and run charts are essential tools in quality management that help you identify trends or errors in the product or the process. These charts let you know:

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    Verification Vs Validation

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    Validation and verification are two important terms in project management; they seem very similar, and it’s easy to get them confused.

    These are important concepts and any PMP aspirants needs to understand them well. I will explain these terms fully, so you will have a better understanding of them when you finish this blog post.

    This topic is not very important from the PMP exam point of view. However, as a project manager, you must know the difference between these terms.

  • Precision Vs Accuracy

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    Precision and accuracy are characteristics of measurement. These characteristics collectively determine whether the products meet requirements. If the deliverable’s characteristics are not accurate and precise, we would say it’s poor quality. During the quality inspection, you analyze the dimensions of the product. If the measurements are accurate and precise, you accept them. If not, you…

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    Quality Assurance Vs Quality Control (QA Vs QC)

    ByFahad Usmani, PMP

    Quality assurance and quality control are most important processes for any project, as the project’s success depends on these processes.

    Every project has a quality control section to take care of these functions. The quality assurance function usually stays with the organization and the quality control section has to communicate with the organization to coordinate between these two processes.

    Since these processes are connected and work in coordination, many professionals, especially those working in small and medium sized organizations, do not understand their differences.

    This reminds me of one interaction when I was in my ISO 9001 training course a few years back. I met with many professionals involved in quality management. These people were all from different backgrounds and were working in various fields.