Which of the following is a typical focus of quality assurance?

• A. After-the-fact complaint handling
• B. Reactive detection only
• C. Conforming to standards and preventing defects throughout the cycle
• D. Disregarding SOPs

Answer: (C)

Quality assurance is about preventing defects by ensuring processes conform to established standards throughout the entire lifecycle. This proactive, process‑oriented approach aims to build quality into how work is done, not just fix problems after they occur. By standardizing procedures, training staff, auditing processes, and implementing preventive actions, QA helps reduce variability and improve reliability.

This is why conforming to standards and preventing defects across the cycle best fits QA. After-the-fact complaint handling is reactive and focuses on problems that have already happened, which doesn’t prevent recurrence. Merely detecting defects later is limited and misses the preventive aim of QA. Disregarding SOPs contradicts QA, since following standardized procedures is essential for consistent quality.