QUALITY

ASSURANCE

Quality Assurance (QA) is a discipline for precision with dedication.

Quality management is the standard methodologies, techniques, and metrics for assuring product quality. Key activities in quality management include:

• Establishing capable processes,

• Monitoring and control of critical processes and product variation,

• Establishing mechanisms for feedback of the field product performance,

• Implementing of an effective root cause analysis and corrective action system, and

• Continuous process improvement.

Quality is a part of the mandatory Integrated Logistics Assessment (ILA) program required by SECNAVINST 4105.1, 30 May 96.

Traditionally the Defense Department has relied on the use of military specifications to invoke a standard system of quality assurance methods and techniques to assure product quality. Contractor quality assurance systems were required to conform to a one-size-fits all approach. MIL-Q-9858 or MIL-I-45208 were cited as requirements for quality systems. MIL-Q-9858, in addition to quality factors, placed requirements on the contractor in the areas of control of Government furnished material, employment of a calibration system, cost of quality data and use of contractor's test equipment. This did not allow or encourage contractors to be innovative or take advantage of process maturity. Consequently the Government was not able to take advantage of the subsequent potential cost savings. Additionally, in the past, specifications contained a multitude of detailed design requirements to assure the design and manufacture of quality products. With the advent of performance-based specifications the majority of these requirements have either been eliminated or restated in performance terms.

State quality requirements in performance-based language. Refer to the ANSI/ASQC Q-9000 series, or the ISO-9000 series standards as models for quality management systems, not mandated detailed requirements. Allow contractors the flexibility to respond with their own equivalent processes for achieving the Government's required level of performance. Note that the documents covered under the ANSI/ASQC Q-9000 series represent different levels of quality requirements, and therefore require tailoring comments for the best fit to a specific acquisition -- even when citing them for "information purposes" only.

Avoid a requirement in, Section C or the SOW, for third party quality system registration on military contracts. The presence or absence of a registered quality system should not be a factor in determining the extent of quality system surveillance at the prime or subcontractor levels. In no case should the Government surrender its rights under the standard inspection clause. The existence of a registered quality system should not exempt the contractor from any contractual design, performance, or quality responsibilities. The determination of the adequacy of a contractor's quality system in meeting contract requirements is the responsibility of the military buying activities and Contract Administration Services (CAS) activities.

• Project Cost Reporting

SECNAVINST 5000.2B requires the use of ANSI/ASQC Q-9000 series, or the IS0-9000 series standards as basic models for quality management systems in all new contracts, and follow-on work for existing programs, provided flexibility is also allowed for contractors to respond with their own equivalent quality systems. The Navy, through its participation in the Government and Industry Quality Liaison Panel (co-chaired by OSD and NASA, with membership from Industry, the other Services, and other Government agencies), has determined that ISO 9001/9002 or ANSI/ASQC Q9001/9002 are the preferred models for quality management systems in Department of the Navy (DoN) acquisition programs. Most Navy procurements will use ANSI/ASQC Q9001 as a contractual reference, with provisions for the contractor to propose alternative systems, as long as they are technically acceptable and accomplish program objectives (see SECNAVINST 5000.2B, paragraph 4.3.2). ANSI/ASQC Q9002 is identical to ANSI/ASQC Q9001 except for the deletion of the requirements contained in Section 4.4 "Design Control". It is applicable for procurements that are strictly production. This would not apply to most DoN contracts due to changes/redesign made necessary by parts obsolescence and technology upgrades. In these instances paragraph 4.4.9 "Design Changes" of ANSI/ASQC 9001 would be applicable.

The elements of ANSI/ASQC 9000 series represent the framework for basic quality systems, however they should not be viewed as the only commercial quality specifications available, nor the most effective basic quality system requirements. Many other industry quality standards (e. g. The auto industry's QS9000 or Boeing Aircraft's D1-9000) exist and are potentially more effective than the ISO or ANSI/ASQC 9000 quality standards. It is, therefore, DoD policy that when citing the ANSI/ASQC Q9000 series requirements, the words "or equivalent" are included to allow offerors to cite their own equivalent quality system. Offerors should be given the opportunity to use their own quality systems whenever they meet acquisition needs. Quality systems that satisfy DoD acquisition needs should be recognized, whether they are modeled on military, commercial, national, or international standards. Although the ANSI/ASQC 9000 standards represent the framework for basic quality systems, the use of advanced quality practices may be required to satisfy unique program needs for managing risks, assuring quality and controlling costs. The use of advanced quality practices, such as statistical process control, should be encouraged by being made part of the source selection process. However, we cannot mandate the methods the contractor uses to implement these practices.

On October 16, 1986, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) issued a memorandum on "Achieving Continuous Quality Improvement" directing all DoD specification preparing activities to remove requirements for Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) and Lot Tolerance Percent Defective (LTPDs) from specifications. Such specification requirements imply that defects are allowable and institutionalize the process of accepting nonconforming materiel. MIL-STD-1916, 'DoD Preferred Methods for Acceptance of Product', 1 April 1996, was written to replace older Military and federal specification requirements that allowed lot acceptance with fixed levels of defects, such as AQLs and LTPDs. The lot sampling techniques in MIL-STD-1916 allows no defects in the sample for the lot to be acceptable. Additionally, MIL-STD-1916 encourages contractors to submit process control procedures in place of sampling requirements, consistent with ANSI/ASCQ 9001.