Para 9.4 — GOODS_MANUAL

9.4. Quality Assurance and Inspections 9.4.1 Quality Assurance (QA) 1. In the context of procurement of goods, the quality assurance (QA) process is needed to provide adequate confidence that a procured product will satisfy the standards of quality and serve the purpose for which it is being procured. QA consists of three components:

9.4.2 Inspections – Measuring Quality Standards The stages and modes of inspection may vary depending on the nature of the goods, the total value of the contract, the location of the supplier, the location of the user, and so on. Depending on the nature of the goods being procured, distinct types of inspection may usually be adopted, as described below.

a) Defining quality standards; b) Planning assurance of quality; c) Measurement of quality. 2. The description and TS define the quality standards expected from the product. 3. Planning for QA is done by specifying the qualifications criteria for the suppliers to ensure that they have the technical, infrastructure and financial capabilities to meet the required quality standards. Specifications also lay down quality control requirements to indicate parameters, target values, tolerances, and methods of measurement of various parameters that constitute the standards of quality. This also involves laying down the type of inspection agency for inspection. 4. Measurement of quality is done through a scheme of inspections at the contract management stage, which lays down the actual process of inspection.