Sociology

Because of the diversity of work being performed by almost all companies today, many of them have recognized that a  one size fits all  strategy to quality requirements is not functional anymore. In view of this, these companies implemented a Quality Assurance System that is anchored in a graded approach. But what is a graded approach to quality In order to have a general idea of the nature and objectives of graded approach, this paper will comprehensively examine this modern quality assurance practice that is being implemented by many companies today.

Graded Approach to Quality
A graded approach to quality is basically a system used to allocate appropriate resources and to place more weight on those processes or items that have the maximum impact upon schedule, performance, equipment, data, cost, health, safety, environment, and personnel. Graded approach directs the choice of procedures to be utilized on certain activities that generate the most threat for negative outcome on quality. It identifies activities that can be executed at different levels of strictness based upon the prospective effect on quality and type of items. Because of graded approach, management consideration becomes more focused on procedures or items that mainly need oversight and control as well as on cutting down the expenditures of operation in low risk procedures or items.

The Department of National Defense, for instance, has established a policy that includes responsibilities and procedures concerning the discharge of quality system performance guidelines to its environmental testing and sampling programs. This policy was issued by the Assistant Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense last December 2007. As expected, the policy integrates the theory of a graded approach to quality.

Argonne National Laboratory, on the other hand, has likewise implemented its own graded approach. The approach is basically derived from the expected impact of the agency mission, the environment, the personnel, and the proprietary and security programs of the agency. Argonne National Laboratory ensures that activities that are vital to the establishment of its project, as well as those that have the possibility to cause injury, are provided with more quality assurance control as compared to those activities that are not so very important.

Graded approach indicates that the quality system requisites for each program will be at variance in relation to the particular needs and objectives of each program (New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2008). To illustrate, the quality controls of a regulatory compliance programs are and should be far removed from that of research programs in view of the fact that the planned uses and purposes of the respective programs are unrelated. In some companies, graded approach is also being applied to the establishment of a quality system and the ensuing documentation. Once the graded approach has been implemented to the aspects of quality system, it is then employed to the documentation needed by that system. Accordingly, the applications of graded approach will vary the level of the quality assurance plan in accordance to the intended use and the nature of the work being carried out, and to the endeavors carried out to document and develop a Quality System.

Finally, the graded approach to quality of some companies entails that the sufficient level of documentation, management controls, analysis, and indispensable actions are proportionate to the activity or item that may lead to the following (1) adversely affect the perception of the public to the company mission (2) unfavorably influence the program objective of the company (3) reduce the availability of an equipment or facility (4) incur a monetary loss due to scrap costs, rework, repair or damage and (5) create a health, safety, or environmental hazard.

Scope of the Approach
Graded approach to quality is part of the Integrated Quality Assurance program of many companies. This quality assurance is generally anchored in the assumption that the most fitting people to recognize quality risks are the ones who execute and plan the activities involved in the company. In view of this, the integrated graded approach to quality implemented by these companies involves evaluation activities, and suggests an incremental process that guides the people who execute the approach in determining the quality controls suitable for managing the activity. Specifically, it includes an instruction of the standard process for accomplishing the grading, a general understanding of grading, and consistent designations and examples of successful executions carried across the company.

Conclusion
Graded approach to quality is part of the Integrated Quality Assurance program of many companies. The policy of graded approach basically means that quality systems will differ in accordance with the requirements and objectives of particular programs, processes, items, and organizations. Likewise, the standards of evaluation in quality systems documents will likewise differ depending on the designed uses of the information and the character of endeavor being carried out. Accordingly, some activities will be given additional quality assurance control than other activities. This graded approach to quality is without a doubt very crucial to diversely operating companies in cutting down expenditures as it will allow them to focus more on activities that need more control and less on low risk ones.