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I've to say that I'm really astonished with the kind of effort people do to keep PM-SE Q&S with such high quality. And I would like to ask:

Is Quality Management on/off topic in PM-SE? By Quality Management, I mean using quality techniques like: quality management systems, TQM, Continuous improvement, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Zero Defects, TOC, BPM, CMMI, ...

I'm asking this because:

  1. Confused: From the PM-SE FAQ, I can't see Quality Management in-topic however I can see tag. I checked all Q&As under this tag, almost 90% should be re-tagged as . Only 1 question is about Quality Management and I think it's off-topic but I don't know why it's not flagged.
  2. Interested: Since I'm interested to see QMSE site and since Quality Management is off-topic here (if I understood correctly), I had created new proposal to have Quality Management Q&A site on Aread51. And I've no problem to delete the proposal if my understanding is not correct but in this case Quality Management should be mentioned in PM-SE FAQ.

Examples of questions that are related to Quality Management:

  1. Kaizen vs Six Segma, what's the pros and cons of each over other?
  2. What are the most common problems that you have faced in the quality management systems you have used?
  3. Quality is about changes for better. What techniques you follow to make changes less resistible from workers?
  4. What are the Quality Management best practices you follow in your organization?

3 Answers 3

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Quality Management is an explicit Knowledge Area in the Project Management Body of Knowledge. IMHO it is definitely ON Topic for this site.

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  • In that case, I definitely don't like the idea of fragmenting the community. I'll leave a comment on the Area 51 proposal for people to first try their questions here.
    – jmort253
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 0:53
  • I posed this as a question on Area 51's Discussion site as well: discuss.area51.stackexchange.com/q/6442/29959
    – jmort253
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 1:01
  • @MarkPhilips - I think there's a difference between project quality as a knowledge area in the PMBOk and Quality Management in the meaning I'm stating above.
    – Rami Sedhom
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 19:48
  • @jmort253 - I also, for sure, wouldn't like fragmenting the community here by any means. Are you suggesting to post QM related questions on Project Management or [meta]?
    – Rami Sedhom
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 19:50
  • I edited my question above and added 4 questions. If needed, can add more.
    – Rami Sedhom
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 20:05
  • @RamiSedhom -How would you differentiate the two?
    – Mark Phillips
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 20:10
  • Project quality is defined as the degree to which a project satisfies its objectives and requirements. For example, a high-quality project is a project that is completed on time and with all the work in the project scope completed within the planned budget. While QM is applying specific QM technique on industry, product or process using, for example, Total Quality Management (TQM), Kaizen or Six Segme, etc... Of course, there's a common area where the project itself is quality project.
    – Rami Sedhom
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 20:32
  • @RamiSedhom - The main problem I see with your examples is that they're likely to be closed as not constructive on any SE site. Any questions that ask for list of things are contrary to SE goals as it's more difficult to pin down a correct answer. Pros/Cons, most common problems questions, book, blog, or shopping recommendations (See Q&A is Hard, Let's Go Shopping), are all not constructive. See Real Questions Have Answers for more details.
    – jmort253
    Commented Sep 6, 2012 at 2:16
  • In short, try to think of a problem you're facing in Quality Management, something real and tangible that needs a solution. These are generally the best questions, although we do leave room for some mild subjective questions as long as they ask for long answers with explanations, not lists or one-liners. :) Hope this helps!
    – jmort253
    Commented Sep 6, 2012 at 2:18
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Quality Management is most definitely a topic within the realm of project management. Project Quality Management is an explicit knowledge area in the PMBOK Guide. It is different then the colloquial definition of "satisfying a projects objectives and requirements." From the PMBOK Guide (4th Edition), Chapter 8:

Project Quality Management includes processes and activities of the performing organization that determine quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which is was undertaken. It implements the quality management system through policy and procedures with continuous process improvement activities conducted throughout, as appropriate

Proprietary quality methodologies such as Six Sigma, Kaizen, TQM, Lean Six Sigman, CMMI, etc are part of the tools and techniques used in Project Quality Management (see page 199, for example).

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Based on our discussions under the tag, the issue of quality management being on topic would depend on if it were actually related to project management in some fashion.

Quality management isn't explicitly off-topic, but I'd imagine determining the boundaries of what would and wouldn't be off-topic would depend on someone a) trying to ask such a question, and b) having the community evaluate whether or not it actually fits the scope of the site.

At this time, any quality management questions should relate to project management. This is of course pretty vague, and there is currently no clear line delineating what quality management questions would and wouldn't be off topic.

If you have specific examples in mind, please bring them up here.

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