fundamental difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Definitions:

Quality Assurance (QA) Consists of planning, coordinating and other
strategic activities associated with measuring product quality against
external requirements and specifications (process-related activities).

Quality Control (QC) Consists of monitoring, controlling and other
tactical activities associated with the measurement of product quality goals.

The following statements help differentiate Quality Control from Quality Assurance:

Quality Control is related to a specific product or service

Quality Control verifies whether specific attribute are in, or are not in, a specific product or service

Quality Control identifies defects for the primary purpose of correcting defects

Quality Control is the responsibility of the team/worker

Quality Control is concerned with a specific product.

Quality Control (QC) – Is a part of the Quality Assurance procedures

Quality control is a technical function.

Quality control (QC) is corrective process.

Quality Assurance helps establish processes

Quality Assurance sets up measurement programs to evaluate processes

Quality Assurance identifies weaknesses in processes and improves them

Quality Assurance is a management responsibility, frequently performed by a staff function

Quality Assurance is concerned with all of the products that will ever be produced by a process

Quality Assurance personnel should not ever perform Quality Control unless it is to validate Quality Control

Quality assurance is a system of management activities.

Quality assurance  (QA) is preventive process.

Quality assurance  (QA) applies to the entire life cycle

QA is process oriented and QC is product oriented

A quality system provides the framework for developing quality assurance policy