Quality Improvement Plan Assignment

Worth: 3 points

Format: Individual or group work

Overview

Throughout this week, you have explored quality management systems, the concept of non-conforming outputs, and the systematic approaches organizations use to address quality issues. You’ve learned about the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, studied root cause analysis techniques including the 5 Whys and Fishbone diagrams, and examined how corrective and preventive actions work together to drive continuous quality improvement.

Now you’ll apply this knowledge by investigating a real or hypothetical quality failure and developing a comprehensive quality improvement plan. This assignment simulates the critical work quality managers do when non-conforming outputs are identified: documenting the problem, conducting thorough root cause analysis, implementing corrective actions to fix the immediate issue, and establishing preventive actions to ensure the problem never recurs.

Your quality improvement plan will demonstrate how systematic quality management transforms quality failures into opportunities for organizational learning and process improvement.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this assignment, you will be able to:

Analyze non-conforming outputs and clearly articulate how they failed to meet specifications
Conduct root cause analysis using recognized methodologies to identify the true sources of quality issues
Distinguish between corrective actions (fixing current problems) and preventive actions (preventing future problems)
Develop professional quality management documentation that supports continuous improvement initiatives
Demonstrate understanding of how quality issues often originate upstream from where they manifest

Assignment Instructions

Step 1: Form your team and select a quality failure scenario

You may work individually or in groups. Working in a team allows you to discuss different perspectives on root causes and develop more comprehensive corrective and preventive action plans.

Select a quality failure for which you’ll develop your quality improvement plan. You have two options:

Option A: Research a Real Quality Failure

Identify a documented quality failure from any industry. This could be:

A product recall or safety issue
A localization or translation error that made news
A service delivery failure at a company
A software release with critical bugs
A manufacturing defect that affected customers
A business communication error with significant consequences

Research guidelines:

Choose a case with sufficient public information to understand what went wrong
Look for cases where you can identify both the immediate problem and potential upstream causes
Ensure you can find credible sources to cite (news articles, company statements, industry reports)

Option B: Create a Realistic Hypothetical Scenario

Develop a realistic quality failure scenario based on your understanding of an industry. This could be:

A translation/localization project with significant quality issues
A product launch with specification mismatches
A service delivery failure due to process gaps
A project that went significantly over time or budget due to quality problems

Scenario development guidelines:

Make it realistic and detailed enough to conduct meaningful root cause analysis
Include specific details about what was expected versus what was delivered
Consider quality failures you’ve witnessed or could plausibly occur in your field of interest
Draw from your experience or knowledge of industry standards

Important: Review the Quality Improvement Plan Example: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to see how quality failures are documented and analyzed at a professional level.

Step 2: Research quality standards and root cause analysis

Before developing your plan, research:

What quality standards or specifications should have been met in your scenario?
What root cause analysis method will work best for your case? (5 Whys, Fishbone, or another RCA technique)
What are industry best practices for preventing similar quality issues?
If using a real case, what did the organization actually do in response?

Step 3: Develop your Quality Improvement Plan

Your plan must include the following sections:

Required Section 1: Title and Description of the Issue

Title: Give your quality improvement plan a clear, descriptive title that identifies the product/service and the issue

Example: “Quality Improvement Plan: Mobile App Language Selector Malfunction”
Example: “Quality Improvement Plan: Product Manual Translation Inconsistencies”

Contributors: List all team members who contributed to the plan

Description of the Issue: Write a comprehensive description (2-3 paragraphs) that explains:

What product or service had the quality issue
When and how the non-conforming output was identified
What specifically was wrong with the output (be concrete and detailed)
What impact the quality issue had (customer complaints, safety concerns, financial losses, reputation damage, etc.)

Note: Use the “Non-Conforming Output - Description” section in the example plan as your model.

Required Section 2: Product Specifications

Clearly document what should have been delivered versus what was actually delivered. This section must include:

What should have been delivered:

Specific quality standards that should have been met
Technical specifications, accuracy requirements, or performance standards
Relevant regulations, certifications, or compliance requirements
Timeline or resource constraints that were part of the specifications

What was actually delivered:

Specific ways the output failed to meet specifications
Quantifiable differences where possible (error counts, time delays, performance metrics)
Evidence of the non-conformity

Note: Use the “Product Specifications” section in the example plan as your model.

Required Section 3: Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Conduct a thorough root cause analysis to identify why the non-conformity occurred. Your RCA section must include:

Which RCA method you used:

State clearly whether you used 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, or another recognized RCA technique
Briefly explain why you chose this method for your particular case

Your analysis:

For 5 Whys: Present your complete chain of questioning, showing how each “why” led to the next until you reached root causes
For Fishbone: Include a visual diagram showing the different categories of causes you examined, OR describe your analysis process if you cannot include a visual
For other methods: Clearly show your analytical process

Identified root causes:

Create a table documenting all root causes you identified
Each root cause should include: Root Cause ID, Description, and Category (Planning/Resources/Process/Communication/Training/etc.)
Include at least 3 distinct root causes

Note: Use the “Root Cause Analysis” section in the example plan as your model. Notice how the example shows both the 5 Whys analysis AND the summary table of root causes.

Required Section 4: Corrective Action

Document the actions taken or that should be taken to fix the immediate problem and prevent recurrence in current/recent projects. Include:

Immediate response:

What decision was made about the non-conforming output? (Start from scratch? Rework? Use as is?)
What immediate actions were taken to address customer impact?

Process corrections:

Create a table with at least 3 corrective actions
For each action include: Action ID, Corrective Action Description, Responsible Party, Timeline, and Status (if applicable)

Note: Corrective actions are reactive—they address problems that have already occurred. Use the “Corrective Action” section in the example plan as your model.

Required Section 5: Preventive Action

Document the systemic changes implemented or that should be implemented to prevent similar issues from occurring in future projects. Include:

Preventive action plan:

Create a table with at least 5 preventive actions
For each action include: Action ID, Preventive Action Description, Responsible Party, and Status (if applicable)
Focus on systemic improvements: process changes, training, documentation updates, tool improvements, quality checkpoints

Important: Preventive actions should address the root causes you identified in Section 3. Make explicit connections between your root causes and your preventive actions. For example: “PA-003 addresses root cause RC-002 by implementing…”

Note: Preventive actions are proactive—they prevent future problems. Use the “Preventive Action” section in the example plan as your model.

Required Section 6: Conclusions

Write a reflective conclusion (1-2 paragraphs) that:

Summarizes the key lessons learned from this quality failure
Reflects on how upstream decisions and processes affect downstream quality
Discusses the value of systematic quality improvement approaches
If applicable, notes what the organization actually learned from this experience
Comments on the relationship between corrective and preventive actions in your case

Note: Use the “Conclusions” section in the example plan as your model.

Required Section 7: References

Provide proper citations for all sources used, including:

News articles, industry reports, or company statements (for real cases)
Academic or professional resources on quality management
Industry standards or specifications referenced
Any frameworks or methodologies cited (ISO 9001, MQM, etc.)

Use a consistent citation style (APA, MLA, or Chicago). Include working URLs where applicable.

Step 4: Format and polish your document

Before submitting, ensure your plan:

Is professionally formatted with clear headers, appropriate use of tables, and consistent styling
Is 3-5 pages (excluding any cover page and references)
Uses inclusive language that doesn’t assume masculine gender as neutral
Is free from typos and grammatical errors
Includes proper citations for all sources
Follows proper file naming conventions

Step 5: Submit your Quality Improvement Plan

File format: One MS Word document in .docx format

File naming conventions:

For individual submissions: LastNames_quality-improvement.docx
For team submissions: LastNames1_LastNames2_quality-improvement.docx (list all team members’ last names separated by underscores)

Make sure your Word document includes all required sections and meets the specifications outlined above.

Due date: End of week

How Your Work Will be Graded

Category	Points	Characteristics of effectiveness
Content Completeness & Quality	1 point	• All seven required sections present and fully developed • Issue description is detailed and clearly explains what went wrong and impact • Product specifications clearly distinguish what should vs. actually was delivered • RCA section shows thorough analysis using stated methodology with at least 3 root causes • Corrective Action includes at least 3 actions addressing immediate problems • Preventive Action includes at least 5 actions addressing systemic improvements • Conclusions thoughtfully reflect on lessons learned • References properly cited and complete
Quality Management Understanding	1 point	• Demonstrates understanding of non-conforming outputs and quality specifications • Root cause analysis goes beyond surface symptoms to identify true upstream causes • Clear distinction between corrective (reactive) and preventive (proactive) actions • Preventive actions explicitly connected to identified root causes • Realistic and implementable action plans appropriate to the scenario • Shows understanding that quality issues often originate upstream from where they manifest • Demonstrates knowledge of continuous improvement principles
Professionalism & Formatting	1 point	• Clear, scannable document structure with appropriate headers and visual hierarchy • Effective use of tables and formatting for readability • Error-free writing with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation • Inclusive language throughout • Appropriate level of detail and analysis • Proper citations using consistent style • Professional tone appropriate for quality management documentation • Proper file naming and submission requirements followed

Reflection Questions

Consider these questions as you develop your plan:

How does your root cause analysis reveal that quality issues often originate far from where they become visible?
What makes preventive action more valuable than corrective action in the long term, despite being more resource-intensive to implement?
How does systematic quality management documentation create organizational learning that extends beyond individual projects?
If you examined a real quality failure, what surprised you most about what actually went wrong versus what appeared to go wrong on the surface?
How might the principles of quality management you applied here transfer to other industries or contexts?

📥 Download this Content

Find this file on our repo and download it.

🤖 GAI Study Prompts

Copy the downloaded content and try it with these prompts:

“Review my root cause analysis and suggest whether I’ve gone deep enough to identify true root causes or just symptoms”
“Help me ensure my preventive actions address the root causes I identified—check for any gaps”
“Critique my quality improvement plan: are my corrective and preventive actions realistic and implementable?”
“What quality management frameworks or standards would be most relevant for [describe your scenario]?”
“Help me identify additional root causes I may have missed for [describe your quality failure]”
“How can I make my conclusions more reflective and insightful about systemic quality improvement?”
“Compare my corrective and preventive actions—am I truly addressing prevention or just fixing the immediate problem repeatedly?”

Next up: Quality Improvement Plan Example: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Regional Spanish Localization