QA = QC 2

The Difference Between QA and QC,

Why It Matters, and How to Keep
Your Projects from Going Sideways
ACEC-IDOT Bridge Seminar
Fall 2018
John C. Ashton, S.E., P.E.
 Learning Outcomes

A. Explain the difference between QA and QC

B. Derive lessons learned from various audits
C. Distill QA/QC principles to “Take 5 for
Quality”

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 A
Explain the difference
between QA and QC

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 Overview

• Purpose of QA/QC
• Goals of procedure as outlined
 Fair, Impartial, Flexible, Consistent
(regardless of staff assignments)
• No system is foolproof
• Reduction in chance of error
• The Cart vs. The Horse
• One more form and we’ll be done…

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 Overview (con.)

• QA Definition: Quality Assurance

 Program-wide approach
 Oversees and monitors project-related QC policies,
procedures, standards, and guidelines
• QC Definition: Quality Control
 Project-specific activities to ensure project deliverables
are completed correctly and meet client requirements
 Project management, guidance, supervision, review
 Making, checking, and reviewing of…
 Designs, plans, quantities, specifications, and reports

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 Overview (con.)

• QA Manual
• QA Audit Forms
• QC Manual – Inspection Module
• QC Manual – Design Module
• QC Manual – Construction Management
Module

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 Overview (con.)

• Engineers love equations

 QA = QC × QC = QC2
• Non-engineers love mnemonic devices
 If Auditing, it’s QA
 If Checking, it’s QC

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 Derive lessons learned from
B
various audits

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 Lessons Learned
• Check prints
 Should conform to standard color-coded conventions
 If hard copies not kept, full-color scans on network required
 Should clearly indicate that QC cycle was completed
 Completion means: through final backchecking
 Various submittal review stages should be identifiable
 Initialed, dated, labeled, separate PDF files, etc.

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 Lessons Learned (con.)
• Time on QC should be billed to QC
 If client requires tasks to be billed separately…
 Create separate phases under each task
 PM, QC, Design, etc.
• Signed contract should be in place with client
 To protect both parties
• Inter-office collaboration is fine, if…
 Checking remains disciplined / thorough

10

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 Lessons Learned (con.)

• Get by with a little help from your friends…

 Try new things to grow personally & professionally
 Never done a timber truss design before?
 Ask someone who has
• Avoid the “global warming” effect
 Ask more than one person who is knowledgeable about
the subject to get a majority professional consensus
 If 99% of scientists agree that global warming is real, then you
can still find someone in the other 1% to interview for your pro-
coal “documentary”

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 Lessons Learned (con.)

• Follow QC procedures in letter as well as intent

 3 people minimum looking at a calc or drawing
 Originator
 Checker
 Senior reviewer (PM or RM, typically using PE/SE seal)
 Check numbers in calc as well as assumptions and
methodology
 Originator should be forthcoming about assumptions
 Checker must ask originator if assumptions unclear

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 Lessons Learned (con.)
• Follow procedures
 Plan the work & work the plan
 Plan out staff assignments,
including all QC staff
 Ensure all staff are versed
with and adhering to QC
manual
 Know the difference between
QC and QA; QA = QC2
 Don’t ASSUME; ask
questions, flag concerns (on
all OUR work)
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 Lessons Learned (con.)
• Avoid common traps
 Don’t try to do it all yourself
 Cutting corners to meet a tight
schedule creates more
problems than it solves
 Fatigue reduces productivity
and increases likelihood of
mistakes
 Don’t focus on dwg. review to the
exclusion of calc review
 Don’t rely on others to catch your
mistakes; take ownership

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 Don’t Let Your Project Go Off the Rails

• Avoid distressing situations – do it right 1st time

 Lawsuits, insurance claims, subpoenas, overhead

15

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 C
Distill QA/QC principles to
“Take 5 for Quality”

16

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 Project Management Controls
• Primary
 Good PM Practices
 Good QC / Checking Procedures

• Secondary
 Good RM Oversight of PMs and Staff
 Good QC / Review Practices

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 Project Management Controls (con.)
• Tertiary
 Common Sense
 If Communication Seems Lacking…
 Ask, Instead of Waiting for Someone to Tell

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 Ways to Improve
• Take Inter-Office Work
Agreements (IOWAs) and
Inspection Plan Analyses
(IPAs) seriously and use as a
PM tool to organize the project
at the front end

• PM training to emphasize:
 Inter-Office Work Agreements
 Recordkeeping
 Communication
 Disposition of client comments
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 Ways to Improve (con.)
• Check Print Training
 Stamping and color-coding of
check prints to ensure all
comments (including client
comments) are picked up and
backchecked

 Three sets of eyes on all

submittals:
 Originator
 Checker
 Reviewer

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 Take 5 for Quality Poster

1. Do it right the first time

2. Check thoroughly rather than
spot-checking
3. Correct everything identified
by the checker
4. Backcheck everything
5. Review (and stamp as
needed) by a senior level
engineer
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 Conclusion

• PM tools like IOWA, IPA, etc., are there for a reason

• QC policies & procedures (color-coding, check print
stamps, 3-person rule) are there for a reason
• Management checks and balances are in place for a
reason
 Your RM can and will intervene to help get the project
back on track
 But your RM can’t do anything if they don’t know there’s
a problem

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 Conclusion (con.)

• Not supposed to be a burden

• Process should become second nature
• Rules not set in stone
• Full commitment required
• Firm-wide implementation

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 Review Learning Outcomes

A. Explain the difference between QA and QC

QA = QC ×___QC
B. Derive lessons learned from various audits
a AAA A/A/AA by originator
b BBB B/B/BB by checker
c CCC C/C/CC by originator
d DDD D/D/DD by back-checker (PM or checker)
e EEE E/E/EE by senior level reviewer (PM or RM)

C. Distill QA/QC principles to “Take 5 for Quality”

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 Questions?

25

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