Quality Assurance (QA) vs Quality Control (QC)

Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality control (QC) are both important methods in software engineering to get high-quality software. Quality Assurance (QA) prevents software defects or minimizes the number of defects in software before delivery by making sure that proper methods and processes are followed during the software development process. Whereas Quality Control (QC) identifies and fixes the defects or errors that exist after development.

What is Quality Assurance (QA)?

Quality assurance is a method of making the software application with fewer defects and mistakes when it is finally released to the end users. Quality Assurance is defined as an activity that ensures the approaches, techniques, methods, and processes designed for the projects are implemented correctly. It recognizes defects in the process. Quality Assurance is completed before Quality Control. 

• It focuses on preventing defects.
• It is a proactive process and is preventive in nature.
• It helps to recognize flaws in the process.
• These activities monitor and verify that the processes used to manage and create deliverables have been followed. 

Characteristics of Quality Assurance

• Process-Oriented: To guarantee constant product quality, it places a strong emphasis on the creation and application of reliable procedures and standards.
• Proactive Process: Quality Assurance (QA) tries to prevent errors by enhancing procedures, guaranteeing that quality is integrated into the product from the start.
• Continuous Improvement: To improve quality over time, QA includes constant process assessment and improvement.

What is Quality Control?

Quality Control is a software engineering process that is used to ensure that the approaches, techniques, methods, and processes designed for the project are followed correctly. Quality control activities operate and verify that the application meet the defined quality standards. 

• It focuses on an examination of the quality of the end products and the final outcome rather than focusing on the processes used to create a product.
• It is a reactive process and is detection in nature.
• These activities monitor and verify that the project deliverables meet the defined quality standards.
  

Characteristics of Quality Control

• Reactive Process: It is the process to find and fix the flaws in the completed product, with focus on finding problems rather than solving them.
• Defect Identification: With testing and inspection, the goal is to find the defect as early as possible..
• Product-oriented: It entails examining, evaluating, and verifying the product to make sure it satisfies the required standards of quality.

Difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)

Conclusion

To follow the high standards in product development, both quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) is required. The former prioritizes process improvement as a means of preventing faults, whereas the later concentrates on finding and fixing problems in the finished product. Together, they guarantee that throughout the production cycle, quality is continuously attained and maintained.