Quality engineering comes into the picture when companies talk about maintaining the quality of their product throughout the development cycle and setting a bar for the kind of results they want. It is also about vision, and quality engineering is the tool that, if used smartly or executed by a very proficient team of professionals in an agile environment, can help you take your product to the level that can fulfill your vision. Let us understand the fundamentals of quality engineering, the need for quality engineering, and how it can help claim industries.
Fundamentals of Quality Engineering
Quality Planning & Assurance: Developing a comprehensive plan that outlines how the quality
of the product or service will be ensured throughout the entire product or service lifecycle. After planning, it is important to ensure that the entire development process is effective and efficient, and that it meets the necessary quality standards.
Implementing Test Automation Framework: Test automation is an essential aspect of quality engineering, involving the use of automation tools to conduct test cases. The framework serves as the platform for executing these tests, providing a standardised set of protocols, guidelines, and procedures for test scripting, association, and implementation.
Quality control: Monitoring the quality during production or delivery and taking corrective actions when necessary to ensure that the product meets the desired level of quality.
Statistical process control: Using statistical methods to monitor the quality and to identify trends and patterns that may indicate a need for corrective action.
Root cause analysis: Spotting the underlying causes of quality problems and taking corrective action to prevent them from recurring.
Quality training: Providing employees with the training and knowledge necessary to understand and implement quality principles and practices.
Customer focus: Analysing, understanding, and meeting customer needs and expectations and continually seeking feedback to improve the quality of the software or firmware.
The Need for Quality Engineering
Earlier approaches to quality maintenance like Quality Assurance in waterfall methodologies in software and hardware development were reactive, costly, time-consuming, and risky. They lacked customer focus and often resulted in products that did not meet customer expectations.
“Prevention is better than cure” is an old but effective adage. The need for Quality Engineering instead of Quality Assurance arises from the same proverb.
In today’s market, where customers demand top-notch products and services, and there is little scope of error, the importance of quality engineering is apparent.
Additionally, quality engineering is essential to mitigate the risk of product recalls, unwanted bugs, warranty claims, and legal issues. It reduces costs associated with defects, errors, and rework, while also guaranteeing that the product is developed efficiently.
Methods Involved in Designing Products:
Quality Engineering employs modern techniques such as:
- Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) emphasizes designing products with Six Sigma quality levels in mind
- Lean Six Sigma focuses on identifying and eliminating waste in the design process. Lean Six Sigma helps to streamline the design process and improve efficiency.
- FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) reduces failure risk and improves product quality by recognizing potential failures in the design and their effects on performance.
- Design of Experiments (DOE) tests and evaluates distinctive design factors to optimise product performance, helping to spot optimal design parameters and improve product quality.
Role of Research and Development, Expense, and Return:
Research and development play a significant role in quality engineering. It involves understanding customer needs, developing innovative technologies, and creating innovative products that meet those needs. Although research and development can be expensive, it can provide a significant return on investment. Quality products often have a higher profit margin and generate customer loyalty, which can lead to long-term success.
Creating Jobs for Skilled-Based Engineers:
Quality engineering requires a diverse set of skills, including engineering, statistics, and project management. According to recent data, there is a rising trend of quality engineers possessing both technical and cross-functional skills, working closely with Agile scrum teams. Survey results also show that over 60% of respondents this year consider business domain knowledge and cross-functional skills to be the two most critical areas of expertise.
Quality engineers play a critical role in ensuring that products meet customer needs, are reliable, and are produced efficiently.
eInfochips believes in creating opportunities for quality engineers who seek more challenging and advanced work exposure to grow. It also ensures that once engineers are hired, they are nurtured with empathy and proper guidance. In these tough times, when there are reports of massive layoffs, eInfochips recently onboarded over 150 engineers in a day.
Conclusion
Quality engineering plays a significant role in enabling industries to excel by producing top-notch products that result in customer loyalty and long-term prosperity. It is a crucial step in the development of products that fulfill customer requirements, exhibit reliability, and are manufactured efficiently. It is important for companies to go from QA to QE as the consumers are transitioning from being a technology aware species to a technology obsessed one.
The writer is Associate Director of Product Marketing at eInfochips.
