How is quality assurance best defined?

Quality assurance is best defined as maintaining the quality of a product by examining the manufacturing process over extended amounts of time. This definition emphasizes the systematic and ongoing processes that organizations put in place to ensure that their products meet specific quality standards consistently. It involves monitoring production processes, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing procedures to enhance overall product quality.

This approach is proactive and aims to prevent defects or issues before they occur in the final product, distinguishing it from other practices that may focus solely on product safety, marketing improvements, or customer feedback systems. While these other aspects may contribute to an overall quality framework, they do not encapsulate the continuous and integrative nature of quality assurance in evaluating and enhancing manufacturing processes directly.