What kind of program aims to ensure processes are followed and meet quality standards?

The correct answer focuses on a program specifically designed to assess and ensure that processes adhere to established quality standards. In this context, the quality audit program is critical as it involves systematic examination and evaluation of processes to determine compliance with defined criteria. Audits are performed periodically and provide a comprehensive review of operational practices, allowing organizations to identify gaps in adherence to quality standards and implement corrective actions.

Quality audits ensure not just that quality processes are in place but that they are functioning effectively and consistently. This enhances accountability and promotes a culture of quality within the organization. The process often involves collecting evidence, assessing workflow compliance, and providing recommendations for improvement based on the findings.

In contrast, while quality assurance, quality control, and quality improvement programs are all integral components of a quality management system, they specifically serve different purposes. Quality assurance focuses on building confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled, whereas quality control emphasizes monitoring and measuring outputs to detect defects. Quality improvement, on the other hand, is aimed at enhancing processes and products over time following results from quality assessments or audits.