Which term best describes proactive measures to prevent issues?

• A. Quality control
• B. Inventory management
• C. Quality assurance
• D. Process optimization

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is preventive quality management—actions taken to stop problems before they happen. Quality assurance is all about this proactive approach. It’s a set of planned, systematic activities within a quality system designed to ensure standards are met and defects are prevented in the first place. This includes defining how work should be done, setting quality standards, training people, and auditing processes so issues are caught and addressed before they affect the product or service. In contrast, quality control focuses on inspecting the output after it’s produced to find defects, which is reactive rather than preventive. Inventory management is about maintaining the right stock levels, not preventing quality issues, and process optimization aims to improve efficiency and effectiveness, but it isn’t the term that specifically captures the preventative quality activities described.