PMP - Quality

When a product or service completely meets a customers requirements:

• Quality is achieved.
• The cost of quality is high.
• The cost of quality is low.
• The customer pays the minimum price.

Answer explanation

As a general rule, one cannot say that quality (as defined in the question) is either of high or low cost. It provides what the customer wanted, which may not be the lowest or highest cost. When a product or service completely meets a customer's needs, quality is achieved.

To what does the following definition refer? "The point where the benefits or revenue to be received from improving quality equals the incremental cost to achieve that quality."

• Quality control analysis
• Marginal analysis
• Standard quality analysis
• Conformance analysis

Answer explanation

This is the definition of marginal analysis. Know the term so you will be able to answer questions that deal with this concept. The other choices may sound good, but they are made-up terms.

Who is ultimately responsible for quality management on the project?

• The project engineer
• The project manager
• The quality manager
• The team member

Answer explanation

Although each person working on the project should check their own work, the project manager ultimately has the responsibility for quality on the project as a whole.

A project has faced major difficulties in the quality of its deliverables. Management now states that quality is the most important project constraint. If another problem with quality were to occur, what would be the BEST thing for the project manager to do?

• Fix the problem as soon as possible.
• Allow the schedule to slip by cutting cost.
• Allow cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem.
• Allow risk to increase by cutting cost.

Answer explanation

Allowing the cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem addresses both finding the cause and the probable impact of dealing with the problem.

A manager notices that a project manager is holding a meeting with some of the team and some stakeholders to discuss the quality of the project. The project schedule has been compressed, and the CPI is 1.1. They have worked hard on the project, the team has been rewarded according to the reward system the project manager put in place, and there is a strong sense of team. The manager suggests that the project manager does not have enough time to hold meetings about quality when the schedule is so compressed. Which of the following BEST describes why the manager is wrong?

• Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk
• Improved quality leads to increased productivity, decreased cost effectiveness, and increased cost risk.
• Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and increased cost risk.
• Improved quality leads to increased productivity, decreased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk.

Answer explanation

Quality efforts should produce a decrease rather than an increase in cost risk as a result of less rework. Quality efforts should also provide increased cost effectiveness due to less rework.

From the project perspective, quality attributes:

• Determine how effectively the performing organization supports the project.
• Provide the basis for judging the project's success or failure.
• Are specific characteristics for which a product is designed and tested.
• Are objective criteria that must be met.

Answer explanation

Quality attributes are the measurements that determine if the product is acceptable. They are based on the characteristics of the product for which they were designed.

Quality is:

• Meeting and exceeding the customers expectations.
• Adding extras to make the customer happy.
• The degree to which the project meets requirements.
• Conformance to management's objectives.

Answer explanation

There can be a cost impact (or time, risk, etc.) of exceeding expectations or adding extras. Quality is the degree to which the project meets requirements.

All the following are tools of Perform Quality Control EXCEPT:

• Inspection.
• Cost of quality.
• Pareto chart.
• Fishbone diagram.

Answer explanation

Inspection, Pareto charts, and fishbone diagrams are tools of Perform Quality Assurance or Perform Quality Control (depending on how they are used). Cost of quality is part of Plan Quality, making sure the project is not spending too much to achieve a particular level of quality.

Pareto charts help the project manager:

• Focus on the most critical issues to improve quality.
• Focus on stimulating thinking.
• Explore a desired future outcome.
• Determine if a process is out of control.

Answer explanation

Only focusing on critical issues to improve quality relates to Pareto charts.

A control chart helps the project manager:

• Focus on the most critical issues to improve quality.
• Focus on stimulating thinking.
• Explore a desired future outcome.
• Determine if a process is functioning within set limits.

Answer explanation

Only determining if a process is functioning within set limits relates to control charts.