Defect

What is a Defect?

A defect is a flaw, error, or inconsistency in a product or process that causes it to deviate from its intended design, requirements, or quality standards. In project management—particularly in software development and manufacturing—a defect is something that must be corrected before the final deliverable can be considered complete or acceptable. It often results from issues in planning, design, coding, testing, or execution. Identifying and managing defects early in a project lifecycle can reduce costs, improve outcomes, and maintain customer satisfaction.

Key Points

• A defect represents a failure to meet specified requirements or expectations.
• It may be discovered at any stage of the project, but is most commonly found during testing or quality control.
• They can range from minor issues, such as spelling errors in documentation, to major faults that impact system performance or safety.
• Project teams typically assign each defect a severity level and a priority rating to determine how urgently they need to resolve the defect.
• Defect tracking systems help teams monitor and resolve issues systematically throughout the project lifecycle.

Related Terms

• A bug is often used interchangeably with a defect, especially in software development, to describe an error in code or functionality.
• A non-conformance occurs when a process or product fails to meet regulatory or project standards, often resulting in a defect.
• Project teams may have to submit a change request if a defect necessitates altering the project scope, design, or requirements.
• A root cause analysis identifies the underlying source of a defect to prevent future occurrences.
• Quality assurance teams design test cases to identify defects by checking if a product meets its specified requirements.

Defect: Example

A software development team delivers a mobile application to a client. During user acceptance testing, the client discovers that the login function fails to recognize valid credentials. The team logs this failure to perform as expected as a defect. The team assigns it a high severity and works to resolve the coding error before the final release.

Defect: Best Practices

• Implement a robust quality assurance process to catch flaws early.
• Use tracking tools to monitor, categorize, and assign issues to team members.
• Prioritize them based on severity and business impact to address critical issues promptly.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits to identify patterns in recurring bugs.
• Encourage clear documentation and communication to avoid misunderstandings that can lead to flaws.

Additional Resources

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