This is the fifth article in the series “How to remember ITTOs”. You can find all the articles in this series here: How to remember ITTOs series.

ITTO is an acronym that stands for Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs.

In this article, we will focus on Project quality management.

What is Project Quality Management?

Project quality management is the knowledge area in which the team performs the following major activities:

• Identifies the quality requirements for the project
• Identifies ineffective processes and causes of poor quality
• Ensures the project outputs are complete, correct and meet customer expectations

Process Flow of Project Quality Management

I have suggested process flow diagrams as a way to remember and map the concepts in the previous articles. Following the same approach, I have given the process flow diagram for Project Quality Management below.

I have included ONLY the major inputs and outputs, so that it is easier to understand rather than complicating it with all the inputs and outputs. So, please note that the process flow diagram given in this article does NOT include ALL inputs and outputs. I have included only those inputs and outputs, which I felt are significant. Please refer to PMBOK Guide for a complete list of ITTOs.

The best way to remember the ITTOs is to draw the process flow diagram yourself. It would help your mind to map the inputs and outputs to the processes; and would help to remember the process flow for a very long time.

Tips to remember ITTOs of Project Quality Management

1. Organizational Process Assets is an input to all the processes in Project quality management. (Note: Please note that OPA is an input to 47 processes; only two processes do not take OPA as an input. They are 5.5 Validate Scope and 11.7 Monitor Risks).
2. Data gathering, Data analysis and Data representation – these three tools are used by all the processes in Project quality management.
3. Enterprise Environmental Factors is an input to only the planning process of Project quality management.
4. Once quality management plan is developed in 8.1 Plan Quality Management, it becomes an input to the following 2 processes in Project quality management.
5. Work performance data is an input to Control Quality process; and work performance information is the relevant output from this process.
6. Approved change requests is an input to 8.3 Control Quality. Only two other processes have this input: 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work and 12.3 Control Procurements.
7. Change requests is an output of 8.3 Control Quality (Note: For all Monitoring & Controlling processes, change requests is an output; the only exception is Perform Integrated Change Control. In this process, change requests is an input and Approved change requests is an output).
8. Manage Quality and Control Quality processes interact very closely. The output of one process becomes an input to the other process. It is important to note that test and evaluation documents is an output from Manage Quality and it becomes an input to Control Quality process. Similarly, quality control measurements is an output from Control Quality process and it becomes an input to Manage Quality process.

Conclusion

What is your approach to remember ITTOs in Project Quality Management? Do you like the above approach? Have you tried this approach hands-on? Share your experience and advice whether it helped you.

Do you have any other tips you want me to include in the above list?

Share your opinions and comments in the comments box below. I will continue to work on the process flow diagram for the other knowledge areas.