QA PROGRAM

Quality Assurance Program: The SBS Quality Management System (QMS) relies on the Quality Assurance (QA) function; a process-centric approach to ensuring that quality requirements for our products and services are fulfilled. Through embracing best practices like ITIL and Six Sigma, the SBS QA is pinned on enhancing and improving the process that is used to create the end result rather than concentrating only on nonconforming products. Our QA assures and validates that processes associated with program operations comply with all applicable specifications, procedures, and design data. By implementing a standards based continual feedback loop, we empower an effective workforce to deliver as promised.

As a key component of the SBS quality management system, the QA function performs a series of planned evaluations to ensure that processes are carried out as planned and products meet the requirements specified by our customers. The Quality Assurance function provides an independent review, analysis and audit of our program planning activities, across all functional groups, and also provides insight into the adequate use of processes and procedures for each functional group.

Quality Control Plan: Through quality monitoring and continual improvement initiatives, SBS ensures its’ products are fit for use and fit for purpose. Our Quality Control Plan (QCP), managed by our Program Manager is a living document leveraged for quality monitoring throughout the life of the contract. The QCP comprises two major parts; the Quality Assurance Plan lists the focus, audits, and reviews needed to ensure our processes are operating as planned and improving as needed, and the Standard Action Plan enables control, correction, and preventive actions of nonconforming products and services.

Our QCP maps to the programs performance measures, which facilitates monitoring, verifying, and evaluating the levels of compliance with the approved processes, standards, and procedures for all service areas. The QCP is a controlled document that is revised as necessary by the PM and PMO. Approved changes to key performance indicators (KPI) and critical success factors (CSF) drive controlled revisions to the QCP.

Standard Action Plan: Should our quality assurance / quality control method fail to ensure we meet a requirement of this contract or any T.O., the mandatory QMS procedures of “Control of Nonconforming Product,” “Corrective Action,” and “Preventive Action” require SBS to:

• Take immediate action to correct, quarantine, or obtain customer authorization, for the nonconforming product, service, or deliverable
• Identify the root cause of the nonconformance:
  • Taking corrective action to eliminate the causes of nonconformance
  • Taking preventive action to eliminate any “potential” causes of nonconformance