Quality Assurance Program

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

The AUSGAR Team ensures that each tasked deliverable, effort, and development process has clear metrics indicating acceptable results. We are dedicated to service quality in product and deed. Our approach to achieving quality is the same for products and effort-oriented tasks:

• Plan the effort in clearly measurable steps
• Monitor execution progress to plan
• Intercede immediately and aggressively if progress deviates from expectations

A quality effort begins with careful planning that is generally represented in the task Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Progress to plan as reflected in the WBS schedule becomes the measure of effectiveness for the execution of each order and deliverable. The task WBS must contain measurable milestones at intervals not exceeding two weeks. Subjective estimates of completion are avoided because they are susceptible to undue optimism and often ignore contingent factors that affect progress.

Monitor
AUSGAR monitors quality as a combination of schedule completion and technically acceptable milestone demonstration. Since the WBS includes explicitly verifiable milestones in effort or product completion–and has them in relatively frequent intervals-progress “markers” are frequent and indicate trends in completion early in the development process. Assuming that more difficult parts of an effort are either scheduled for more lengthy completion or broken down into interim completion stages, there should be no pronounced deviation from plan after a small amount of the work is complete. Where one task might be underestimated, a large number of smaller tasks serve to average out initial estimation errors and ensure the validity of the progress trend soon after initial development is underway.

Maximize
AUSGAR strives to maximize quality in its products and efforts by making valid progress to plan so that efforts are never rushed. In addition, our bi-weekly project teleconferences ensure that products and efforts are continually directed at the needs for the requiring user and the sponsor.

Problem Resolution
On the rare occasion that a problem arises with the effort or product of a task, AUSGAR responds aggressively and constructively.

First, the nature of the problem is researched to determine the severity and scope. Second, alternatives to the original design or plan are developed in case corrective action cannot be accomplished in time. Third, alternatives to the product or effort are proposed to “buy time” if needed to complete corrections.

The customer is apprised immediately of any issues that arise and all corrective actions and plans. This includes issues that may be the result of Government-furnished information or material that is outside the control of even the customer. If cost or schedule impacts are unavoidable, the customer is already aware of the issues and the recommended solution. We then follow the customer’s directed course of action.