Quality
Quality is basically what the customers and stakeholders require from the project deliverables. By keeping the definition associated with the consumer or stakeholder, quality management can have a narrow focus which means its more probable to achieve the ultimate project goals. Managing the project quality involves many factors such as setting quality targets and defining how to calculate those quality targets and reporting on them. Project quality incorporates the procedures and practices that are used to determine and achieve the quality of the deliverables of a project. Though, quality can be an elusive term.
Quality is conformance to the requirement and fitness for use. Requirements include product’s and customer’s requirements.
ISO 9000 defines quality as “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils the requirements.”
Grade
“A category assigned to deliverables having the same functional use but different technical characteristics.” PMBOK 6
The term “grade” refers to a level, category, features or ranking system which is used to distinguish between various items that serve the same important function but own varying attributes which result in different standards of quality output.
Usually, high-grade items are capable of more sophisticated or advanced tasks whereas low-grade items are more suitable for low-end or less labour-intensive chores.
The grade is a classification allocated to products that have the same functional use but diverse technical features. The grade is typically determined through a set of pre-defined measurements and demonstration of acquiescence to those dimensions. For instance, if you intend to buy laptops for the project management office, there are primarily two options to choose from. One is the low-grade option that comes with limited features whereas the other is a high-grade option with advanced capabilities and features. so you may say products with different configuration are kept in different grades.
Quality is conformance to the requirements.
Grade is a categorization of the product based on its characteristics i.e same functional use but different technical characteristics
Important Note
A product can be a high grade (high-end) or a low grade (low-end), it is perfectly acceptable, and there is no problem with it as long as it fulfils its stated requirements
Low quality is a problem whereas low quality is a choice based on circumstances and requirements
The project manager and the project management team are responsible for determining and delivering the required levels of both quality and grade
Quality cannot be determined through the sole comparison of two products. Quality as per our definition is based upon how well it meets the needs of the person using it.
Quality deals with the client requirements i.e client satisfaction and Grade is all about your purchasing power
Examples
- Business Class vs Economy Class: Different Grades, none should be low quality
- Free Service vs Paid Service: Both should be quality oriented and best in their own class
- High quality vs Low-Quality Diamond
4. Grade of Diamond
