Quality Assurance in automotive embedded projects
In a general, as a widely accepted definition, quality of a product is the main characteristic that differentiates that aforementioned product in relation to other, similar products available on the market. Quality implies meeting the customer’s expectations, at a cost that the customer affords (or: agrees) to pay, so that we, as a provider of goods or services, will be able to do this the next day and the day after that. A bug-free product is not necessarily a good-quality product. Quality is as good as its perception by the end-users, as good as meeting the end-users’ expectations. Of course, a bug-free product is more likely to be perceived as a good one, but that’s just part of the whole picture. This is an important part, no one could argue about, but just one part of the picture. “Quality Assurance” is the set of activities aiming to build quality into our final product. It consist of preventive and corrective actions that ensure us and our customers that the product we deliver meets their expectations. Customers’ expectations derive from the intended use of our product and from various legal or industry standards.
