01Three questions
- Inspection: does the product conform to requirements?
- Expediting: will the product be delivered on time, and what threatens the date?
- Project management: is the whole scope (engineering, procurement, manufacturing, testing, logistics, interfaces) planned, coordinated and under control?
02Typical activities
| Inspection | Expediting | Project management | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Conformity | Schedule | Scope, time, cost, quality, risk |
| Basis | Drawings, specs, ITP | Schedule, milestones | Contract, baseline plan |
| Output | Inspection report, release | Progress report, forecast | Status report, decisions, risks |
| Authority | Accept or reject against criteria | Escalate delays | Coordinate, decide within mandate |
03Combining them
On critical orders the three are often combined: one engineer inspects and expedites during the same visit, and a project manager integrates the information. Reports should still separate conformity from schedule, so that schedule pressure never hides quality findings.
04What expediting shows
The illustration shows a typical expediting view: verified progress against plan.
Expediting dashboard: planned versus actual progress
Weighted manufacturing progress of a fabricated equipment order with milestone markers. Select a scenario or a milestone.
Expediting compares verified physical progress with the agreed schedule and flags delivery risk early.
Published 2026-11-08 · QUALITAS TR technical team