The example below shows part of a production line making expensive pad locks. The tubing is manufactured for home and business use and consequently must be accurate and precise. Quality Assurance checks have ensured that the equipment used to manufacture the product, the training of staff, the selection of quality materials and the manufacturing processes, are to the highest possible standard. Quality Assurance also ensures that the customer has his/her say.

Quality Assurance is different to Quality Control. Quality Assurance does not check the quality of the final product but the quality of all systems on the production line, staff training and quality monitoring. If this is to the highest standard, the quality of the final product should also be high. Quality Control checks the quality of the product at different stages of production.