What is the objective of using tools and techniques in Plan Quality Management?

Tam,

If you are asking this question in relation to PMP exam prep, the answer may be defined or worded slightly different than if asking for practical application for a real world project. As some of our colleagues have already hit on, Quality Management tools and techniques can be specific to type of project, product, or company approach.

For PMP exam:
- Primary objective for using the Tools and Techniques in "Plan Quality Management" is to help PM and project team to determine what Quality requirements are needed for both the project and product. Also, T & T help to determine the Quality Standards that will be used throughout the project to Perform Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

- Some of those tools used when Planning Quality Management are: Checklists; Control Charts (ex: when determining upper & lower variance thresholds); Flowcharts; Benchmarking; DOE - Design of Experiments; Cost Benefit Analysis;

- It also helps to put the objective of the Tools & Techniques into perspective if you look at what the Outputs of Plan Quality Mgt. are, (what do we need to have when we have completed Planning Quality Mgt.?). Here are the outputs:
- Quality Management Plan - (subsidiary plan of the Project Management Plan)
- Quality Metrics - (to be used during project)
- Checklists
- Process Improvement Plan
- Project Management Plan & Document Updates

There are many details that define these concepts and there is not enough time or space to answer completely. Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep book paints a fairly practical summary of Quality Management and I would encourage you to take a look at this material as a starting point.