In quality management, what does the abbreviation "QA" stand for?

In the context of quality management, "QA" unequivocally stands for Quality Assurance. Quality Assurance is a systematic process designed to determine if a product or service meets specified requirements and is essential for ensuring that the outputs of an organization are reliable and consistent. It involves the establishment of processes, standards, and procedures that are focused on preventing defects and ensuring quality throughout the production or service delivery cycle.

While the other terms may sound similar and relate to aspects of quality management, they serve different purposes. Quality Assessment typically refers to the evaluation of whether or not specific quality standards are being met. Quality Analysis involves examining data and information to draw conclusions about quality levels but does not inherently encompass the preventative nature of Quality Assurance. Quality Approval often relates to the acceptance of a product or service after it has been assessed, differing from the proactive approach of QA, which seeks to improve processes and standards before problems arise. Therefore, Quality Assurance is the most accurate representation of QA in the realm of quality management.