Reduced man-hours required to complete each maintenance task   Assurance that the proper tools are available to perform specific maintenance tasks Detailed  information  concerning  the  ALRE  TCP can  be  found  in  NAEC  Miscellaneous  Report  51/OR 732, the ALRE Tool Control Manual. REVIEW QUESTIONS Q13. List benefits of the tool control program? QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) LEARNING   OBJECTIVES:   Describe   the quality assurance branch organization. Describe the quality assurance branch responsibilities.   Describe   quality   assurance audits. QA is the planned and systematic pattern of actions necessary  to  prevent  defects  from  occurring  from  the start of a maintenance operation to its finish. QA is the responsibility of all personnel involved in the operation, upkeep, and maintenance of ALRE. The  achievement  of  QA  depends  on  prevention, knowledge, and special skills as they are described.   Prevention is the power to regulate events rather than  being  regulated  by  them.  This  extends  to the   safety   of   personnel,   the   maintenance   of equipment,  the  training  of  personnel,  and  all aspects of the total maintenance effort.   Knowledge is derived from factual information. Knowledge  is  acquired  through  data  collection and analysis as a means of identifying, tracking, and preventing defects.   Special  skills  are  those  skills  possessed  by  the personnel   trained   in   the   technique   of   data analysis and supervision of the QA program. The  QA  program  provides  an  efficient  method  of gathering  and  maintaining  information  on  the  quality, characteristics of repair parts, maintenance procedures, training,  and  on  the  source  and  nature  of  defects  and their  impact.  The  QA  program  permits  maintenance and  operational  decisions  to  be  made  based  on  facts rather than intuition or memory, by providing comparative data that is useful long after the details of a particular event has been forgotten. A  properly  functioning  QA  program  points  out problem    areas    to    maintenance    managers    so    that appropriate   action   can   be   taken   to   accomplish   the following:   Improve  the  quality,  uniformity,  and  reliability of the total maintenance effort   Improve the work environment and the tools and equipment used in the performance of maintenance   Eliminate   unnecessary   man-hour   and   dollar expenses   Improve   the   training,   work   habits,   and   pro- cedures of maintenance personnel   Increase  the  accuracy  and  value  of  reports  and correspondence originated by the division   Distribute  required  technical  information  more effectively   Establish    realistic    material    and    equipment requirements   in   support   of   the   maintenance effort   Support safety and FOD prevention and report- ing programs QUALITY ASSURANCE BRANCH ORGANIZATION The  QA  branch  is  comprised  of  a  small  group  of skilled personnel who are permanently assigned to the branch.  The  personnel  assigned  to  the  QA  branch  are known as quality assurance inspectors (QAIs). They are responsible  for  conducting  QAI-level  inspections  and the management and monitoring of QA programs in the division.   Additionally,   personnel   assigned   to   other branches   and   work   centers   will   be   designated   to perform  certain  inspection  functions  NOT  requiring QAI-level involvement. These personnel are collateral duty  inspectors  (CDIs),  who  are  assigned  to  inspect specific steps of a maintenance procedure performed by their respective work center. They are responsible to the QA branch supervisor while performing QA functions. CDIs  are  NOT  permitted  to  inspect  their  own  work under any circumstance. It may also be necessary to augment the QA branch with    collateral    duty    quality    assurance    inspectors (CDQAIs)   to   temporarily   alleviate   given   skill   or manpower  shortages.  CDQAIs  must  meet  the  same criteria as QAIs, including designation in writing by the commanding officer, and will have the same authority 6-13