QUALITY MANAGEMENT GLOSSARY

Accuracy

The correctness of the content, ensuring that the information provided is free of errors.

ADDIE Model

A process framework used in education and training that consists of five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.

ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training

A standard developed by the American National Standards Institute in partnership with the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, setting criteria for developing, delivering, and evaluating high-quality continuing education and training programs.

ASQ (American Society for Quality)

A global organization dedicated to quality improvement and standards, providing definitions and frameworks for quality management.

Budget

A financial plan that outlines the direct and indirect costs associated with a project, including contingency funds for unexpected expenses.

Checklist

A set of criteria used to guide the design and development process, ensuring that all necessary elements are included and meet the defined standards.

Common Cause Variation

Variation inherent in a process due to random factors that cannot be controlled.

Communication Channels

Methods or systems used to share information and provide support, such as email, help desks, online forums, or dedicated support teams.

Communication Plan

A strategy that describes how information will be shared with stakeholders and team members throughout a project's life cycle, including communication goals, channels, frequency, and content.

Compliance Indicator

Narratives, metrics, or measures used to determine adherence to guidelines within the quality review process.

Commitment

The dedication and adherence to quality management guidelines by team members, ensuring consistent application of quality processes.

Consequential

A quality management system characteristic that ensures meaningful impact, with gains from compliance and consequences for non-compliance.

Consensus

A general agreement among team members on the definition of quality, which is crucial for the success of the quality management system.

Continuous Development

The concept that a quality management system is dynamic and constantly evolving, requiring ongoing improvements and adjustments.

Continuous Improvement

An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes by making small, incremental improvements over time.

Control Chart

A graphical tool used in Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor the stability and performance of a process over time by plotting data points and identifying variations.

Criteria

Indicators used to determine whether specific requirements or expectations are met within a guideline.Description text goes here

Customer

In the context of quality management, this term can refer to either the learners who engage with the learning products or the organizational leaders who sponsor and benefit from the training.

Customer Satisfaction

A measure of how well the learning products meet the needs and expectations of the learners and the organization.

Deficiencies

Shortcomings or errors in a product or service that detract from its quality. In quality management, a product should be free of deficiencies.

Deming Cycle (PDSA)

A four-step cycle for continuous improvement that includes Plan, Do, Study, and Act.

Direct Costs

Expenses directly related to a project, such as materials, equipment, labor, and travel.

Discovery Exercise

An activity to map out how the L&D function currently operates, including the function's name, organizational model, roles, and process maps.

Documentation

The process of recording policies, processes, procedures, and guidelines to ensure clarity, consistency, and accessibility for future reference and training.

Effectiveness

A quality management system characteristic that ensures the system achieves its intended purpose of improving quality and performance.

Efficiency

The ability to achieve desired results with minimal waste of time, effort, or resources.

Early Wins

Initial successes that demonstrate the benefits of a project, helping to build momentum and support for continued efforts.

Evidenced-Based Standard

A standard relying on empirical evidence, studies, research, experiments, objective data, and credible sources to ensure reliability and effectiveness.

Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram)

A tool for identifying the root cause of a problem or issue by categorizing potential causes and visually displaying them.

Formalized Quality Management System

A structured and documented system designed to ensure consistent quality through guidelines, processes, procedures, and tools.

Functional Processes

Groups of activities within the L&D function, such as administration, content creation, delivery, and technology, that support the business.

Gauging Commitment Questionnaire

A tool used to gather data to inform the quality management system building process, gauge interest and commitment levels, and demonstrate a collaborative approach.

Gestalt Principles

Visual design principles describing how humans perceive and interpret visual information, including proximity, similarity, continuity, and figure-ground.

Guideline

A specific protocol or rule that supports a standard within a quality management system. It’s expressed as a statement that provides reference points for evaluating whether certain requirements or expectations have been met.

Implementation Stages

Phases of a project designed to gradually develop and integrate a system, such as creation, pilot program, evaluation, revision, launch, integration, and adoption.

Indirect Costs

Expenses not directly related to a project but necessary to complete it, such as overhead, administrative costs, and marketing costs.

ISO 30422 Human Resource Management — Learning and Development

A standard from the International Organization for Standardization that guides the learning and development organization in the workplace.

Issue Tracker

A centralized tool for capturing, documenting, and monitoring issues that require attention or resolution during the review process.

Juran Trilogy

A framework for quality management that includes Quality Planning, Quality Control, and Quality Improvement.

Job Aids

Tools or resources designed to assist individuals in performing specific tasks or activities effectively and efficiently by providing quick reference information, step-by-step instructions, guidelines, or visual aids.

Knowledge Base

A centralized repository for storing guidelines, templates, and other documentation to facilitate information organization and accessibility.

Leadership Support

Crucial backing from organizational leaders for implementing and sustaining a quality management system, helping to prioritize and facilitate the system's integration into workflows.

Learning Design

The process of planning, designing, and developing effective and engaging learning experiences that support improved performance outcomes.

Mission

A statement defining the primary goal and guiding philosophy of a quality management system, providing a foundation for structure and decision-making.

Mission Statement

A concise statement that explains the purpose and goals of the quality management system, guiding decision making and inspiring commitment.

Narrative Description

An approach where reviewers provide descriptive feedback instead of numerical scores or checklist items to assess how a learning experience aligns with guidelines.

Pareto Principle

A principle stating that roughly 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes, used to identify the most critical issues in quality management.

Peer Review

A common method in which fellow designers check each other's work to ensure quality.

Perfection

An unattainable goal in quality management, often replaced by practical standards for accuracy and completion.

Pilot Program

A test implementation of a new system or process to evaluate its effectiveness before full-scale adoption.

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle

A four-step quality management method involving planning, doing, checking, and acting to ensure continuous improvement.

Policy

High-level statements that define the team’s approach to complying with one or more guidelines. Policies outline the goals, objectives, and acceptable behaviors related to a specific workflow.

Process

A series of interrelated activities or steps designed to achieve a specific outcome or produce a particular result. Processes ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency in operations.

Process Lead

An individual responsible for managing and overseeing the quality management system, supporting team members, and ensuring continuous improvement.

Process Owner

Typically the L&D lead, responsible for the system’s development, growth, and maintenance, ensuring it aligns with organizational objectives and supporting continuous improvement.

Project Deliverables

Tangible outputs that a project will produce, such as documents, guidelines, and templates that support a quality management system.

Project Manager

An individual responsible for overseeing a project, including planning, execution, monitoring, and control, ensuring the project is completed within budget, timeline, and scope.

Project Plan

A detailed plan that outlines the components of a project, including goals and objectives, scope, deliverables, timeline, roles and responsibilities, risk management, budget, and communication plan.

Project Scope

Defines the boundaries of a project, specifying what is included and excluded, and establishes a shared understanding of what the project will deliver.

Quality Assurance (QA)

 A set of guidelines designed to encourage confidence in the quality of products or services, reflecting the overall design of the quality management system.

Quality Control (QC)

Processes, policies, and procedures that support the application of QA guidelines during the production phase to ensure products meet the established quality standards.

Quality Improvement

The process of continuously enhancing programs and processes based on data collected during quality control.

Quality Inspection

The activity of searching for errors or defects after the product or service has been created.

Quality Management

A systematic approach to ensuring that products and services meet stakeholder expectations and guidelines.

Quality Management System (QMS)

A structured approach that includes policies, processes, and procedures to manage and ensure quality in learning and development products and services.

Quality Planning

The process of creating a plan to support the mission of a quality management system, including setting goals and developing standards.

Quality Review (QR)

A systematic process of evaluating a product, service, or work output to determine compliance with predefined standards or guidelines.

Quality Review Issue Tracker

A tool used by reviewers to communicate their feedback to designers and developers, serving as a centralized platform for capturing, documenting, and monitoring issues.

Quality Reviewer Guide

A comprehensive document or handbook provided to reviewers to ensure consistency and effectiveness when conducting quality reviews and assessments.

Quality Reviewer Training Presentation

A resource designed to teach individuals or teams about the quality review process, principles, and how to assess the quality of products, services, or processes within an organization.

Quality-First Mindset

A way of thinking that focuses on creating value for the client and prioritizes quality over other factors such as deadlines, costs, and speed.

Rating Scales

Numerical scores assigned to different aspects of course design based on specific criteria outlined in design guidelines, providing a quantitative measure of alignment with the guidelines.

Realistic

A quality management system characteristic that ensures the system is feasible and adaptable to the organization's context and resource constraints.

Review vs. Test

Reviewing focuses on comparing a course to guidelines, while testing focuses on verifying and validating a product’s quality through testing activities.

Risk Management

The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks that could impact a project's success, including risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring.

Rubric

A scoring guide that outlines specific criteria and performance levels for each, converting design guidelines into a structured framework for assessment.

Scalability

The ability of a system to handle increased or decreased demand or growth by making adjustments to processes and resources.

Scoping

The process of defining the boundaries of a standard, including what will and will not be included, to achieve desired outcomes.

Shewhart Cycle

Another term for the PDCA cycle, named after Walter A. Shewhart, who proposed this method for quality management.

Simple

A quality management system characteristic that ensures the system is easy to understand, use, and maintain, avoiding unnecessary complexity.

Special Cause Variation

Variation caused by specific, identifiable factors that can be controlled and addressed.

Stakeholder

Any individual or group with a vested interest in the quality and success of the learning and development products, including team members, organizational leaders, and learners.

Standard

A collection of guidelines that support the mission of a quality management system.

Stated or Implied Needs

The explicit or implicit requirements of the learners and the organization that the learning product must meet.

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

A quality management method that involves monitoring a process to identify and respond to variability.

Support Channels

Communication methods used to access resources and support within a quality management system, providing team members with options for getting help in a timely manner.

Support Model

A framework that outlines how individuals engaged in a system will be supported as they comply with the standard, typically consisting of support policies, resources, and channels.

Support Policies

High-level statements outlining the processes and procedures to be followed by everyone involved in complying with standard guidelines, ensuring issues are addressed promptly and efficiently.

Support Resources

Tools, documents, and materials that help individuals navigate and comply with quality management policies and processes, such as knowledge bases, FAQs, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.

Sustainability

The ability to maintain and support the quality management system over the long term, ensuring ongoing effectiveness and relevance.

Template

Predefined formats or structures used to ensure consistency and quality in creating documents, courses, or other products, often used in quality management systems to streamline processes.

Total Quality Control

A concept developed by Armand Feigenbaum emphasizing the importance of quality control at every stage of the production process and making it a shared responsibility across the organization.

Upskilling

Improving team members' skills and capabilities to better align with organizational goals and quality standards.

Verification

Ensuring or demonstrating that a guideline is true, accurate, or justified, often involving tracking the guideline's viability and effectiveness after implementation.