Important Terms and Definitions - Monitoring & Controlling Quality and Risk

As usual, let us wrap up the series on Monitoring & Controlling project quality and risk by covering the important terms we learnt as part of these chapters.

• Cause and effect diagram - A diagram used to explore all the potential causes (inputs) that result in a single effect (output), such as a problem or a defect.
• Control chart - A chart or diagram used to monitor whether the variance of a specified variable is within the acceptable limits dictated by quality control.
• Defect - An imperfection or deficiency that keeps a component from meeting its requirements or specifications. A defect is caused by an error (problem) and can be repaired by fixing the error.
• Flowchart - A diagram that depicts inputs, actions, and outputs of one or more processes in a system.
• Histogram - A bar chart that shows a distribution of variables.
• Inspection - A technique to examine whether an activity, component, product, service, or result conforms to specific requirements.
• Monitor and control risks - To track identified risks, identify new risks, monitor residual risks, implement risk response plans, and evaluate risk management processes.
• Pareto diagram - A diagram used to rank the importance of each error (problem) based on the frequency of its occurrence over time in the form of defects.
• Performance report - A document or a presentation that presents the project progress in terms of some parameters, such as earned value management parameters, based on the analysis of performance information/data.
• Quality control - Monitoring results of executing quality-related activities and recommending necessary changes and actions to conform with the quality plans.
• Risk trigger - An alert that indicates a risk event has occurred or is about to occur.
• Run chart - A chart that shows the history and pattern of variations.
• Scatter diagram - A diagram used to show the pattern of the relationship between two variables — an independent variable and another variable that depends on the independent variable.
• Statistical sampling - Randomly selecting a part of the population for study.
• Workaround - A response to a negative risk that has occurred. A workaround is based on a quick solution and is not planned in advance of the risk occurrence event.

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