What is quality assurance?

• A. Designing systems and processes to prevent quality problems before they happen.
• B. Auditing supplier quality only.
• C. Checking products during production.
• D. Marketing quality claims to customers.

Answer: (A)

Quality assurance is about designing and implementing the processes and standards that prevent quality problems from occurring in the first place. It focuses on building quality into the way a product is made—through clear procedures, training, quality planning, supplier qualification, and regular audits to ensure that everything in the production system follows agreed criteria and can be improved over time. Because it’s preventive and process‑driven, QA helps reduce defects, waste, and variation, delivering more consistent quality for customers. The other ideas describe narrower or reactive activities: auditing suppliers alone targets a part of quality, checking products during production is a quality control activity that detects problems as they happen, and marketing claims concerns communication rather than ensuring quality in the process.