Ian Nerney - Bayshore Solutions Project Manager
By: Ian Nerney – Bayshore Solutions Project Management Team
As project managers, we often talk about how we aim to meet the quality goals for our clients and for our projects – but, what is quality? And, more importantly, how can you measure it?
First, let’s define quality.
When people think of the word ‘quality’ they often think of the tangible and intangible attributes of a product or service – how well (or poorly) a product is made, how it looks, or how it make you feel. On the contrary, I would argue that the truest definition of quality was coined by Philip B. Crosby – an influential person in the field of quality management. He simply defines quality as being the “conformance to requirements.” These requirements are both defined by the product (i.e. product definition, or scope documents) and the customer (i.e. time and cost goals). So, in other words, quality is defined by the tangible and intangible attributes of a product or service, AND if those attributes meet certain requirements.
With that definition in mind, how can we measure quality?
Since quality is determined by the requirements, it can only be measured using the nominal measures: yes or no. Does the project meet the requirements as defined by the scope definition document? Is the project being completed according to the timeframe agreed upon? Is the project meeting the cost goals? We, at Bayshore Solutions, look to answer ALL of these questions with a “YES!” To do so, we find a few things to be really helpful…
- Envision Phases – an envision phase is our fancy term for a pre-project discovery phase. It’s time where we sit down with our clients to determine all the requirements for the project, so there are no hiccups to interrupt progress later on down the road. These are particularly helpful in larger projects with a higher degree of uncertainty, but all projects can benefit from this thoughtful planning phase.
- Our Team Structure – by having a close and diverse mix of talent in our project teams, we are able to consider the design, development, and marketing aspects of our projects collectively. This mix allows us to offer better services for our customers, and create better products them and their businesses.
- Clear Communication – communication is not just helpful, but essential to completing projects that meet quality requirements. Here at Bayshore, we strive to keep clear and open lines of communication between our team and our clients. We understand the important role transparency and openness play when building long-term relationships and trust with our clients.
To wrap things up, quality is not just something that one wishes for, but something that is achievable through efficient planning and communication. We, at Bayshore Solutions, work hard to meet the quality standards of our clients every day – and we take pride in the satisfaction that quality products and services bring to our customers.
Ian Nerney is a Project Manager at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.