Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are both essential aspects of a comprehensive quality management system but they serve different purposes:
* Quality Assurance (QA): QA is a process-oriented approach that focuses on preventing defects by improving the processes used to develop and test products. It involves setting up processes, methodologies, and standards to ensure that the product meets quality requirements.
* Quality Control (QC): QC is a product-oriented approach that focuses on identifying defects in the final products. It involves activities such as inspection, testing, and review to ensure that the product meets the specified requirements and standards.
Thus, the main difference is that QA is process-oriented and preventive, while QC is product-oriented and corrective.