Which of the following best characterizes a quality control process?

• A. It detects and corrects defects during or after production
• B. It eliminates all variability before production
• C. It is primarily used to set staff salaries
• D. It prohibits any changes during production

Answer: (A)

Detecting and correcting defects in products during or after production is what quality control emphasizes. It involves inspecting outputs, identifying nonconformities, and taking corrective actions such as rework, sorting, or scrap to ensure final products meet requirements. This reactive approach focuses on the finished or in-process outputs rather than preventing defects by design. It doesn’t aim to eliminate all variability before production, which isn’t realistic and falls more to process design and control; it also isn’t about setting staff salaries, and it doesn’t inherently prohibit changes during production—feedback from quality control can drive improvements and adjustments when defects are found.