Quality control and quality assurance in the production process

Quality Control (QC)

Quality control is an operational technique, aimed at eliminating defects and ensuring that the produced goods meet the planned level of quality.
QC applies the corrective measures immediately after the identification of a defect.
It is a reactive process, checking textiles and garments after they have been produced.
Quality control techniques involve Inspection and Testing.
Inspection can be performed at various stages of production to identify any defects. These could be before, during or after the production.
Testing can include checks for colour fastness, shrinkage, strength, and durability. It can also include flammability tests, care labelling tests and several others, depending on the requirements of the textile product.
QC is important in any production process but it has its limitations. It does not prevent problems from arising during manufacturing but merely identifies problems after they have occurred.

Quality Assurance (QA)

QA is a proactive process that starts even before the work begins. It includes the process of establishing and maintaining a system to ensure that the predetermined standards of quality are achieved.
QA aims to prevent defects by focusing on the process used to make the product.
It ensures the final textile product is produced in the right way, assuring that any possible defects have been eliminated at the start.
It involves writing quality management procedures and specifications, setting quality standards, and quality audits.
Quality Management Procedures are the guidelines which determine how each process in the production should be carried out.
Specifications are clear, detailed descriptions of the requirements for the materials, components or services used in the production process.
A Quality Audit is a systematic review of the production process to determine whether the operations and procedures conform to predetermined standards and to recommend any possible improvements.
An important advantage of quality assurance is that it highlights problems at an early stage, rather than finding them after the product has been made.

Remember, while both quality control and quality assurance are used for effective quality management, they are fundamentally different. Quality control identifies and solves problems in the product, while quality assurance prevents the problems from appearing in the first place.