A prototype should answer one specific question: does the sample demonstrate that an intended quality characteristic is at its intended level or state when evaluated against stated specifications and testing requirements? The American Society for Quality says a supplier quote should be requested against those requirements and lists prototyping, laboratory testing, and validation testing of supplier samples as evaluation methods.
What makes the question usable
The question must distinguish the characteristic being evaluated from the method used to evaluate it. ASQ defines nonconformity as a departure of a quality characteristic from its intended level or state. Without stating that intended condition, a result can be recorded without answering whether the sample conforms.
A practical prototype question can be structured around these elements:
| Element | What it clarifies |
|---|---|
| Intended quality characteristic | Which condition or property the prototype must demonstrate. |
| Intended level or state | The condition against which departure would indicate nonconformity. |
| Specifications and testing requirements | The stated reference used to request a supplier quote and guide evaluation. |
| Evaluation method | Whether prototyping, laboratory testing, or validation testing will address the question. |
| Interpretation rule | What observation or result will count as conformity or nonconformity. |
The evaluation method supports the question; it does not define the question by itself. Prototyping may be appropriate when the question concerns whether a proposed form demonstrates the characteristic. Laboratory or validation testing may be relevant when the question requires evidence under defined testing requirements. The cited guidance lists these methods but does not prescribe one method for every project.
A clear question template
The question can be written as:
Does [sample or prototype] demonstrate that [quality characteristic] is at its [intended level or state], when evaluated by [chosen method] against [stated specifications and testing requirements]?
Every blank needs a documented answer. If the sentence merely says whether the sample “works,” it does not yet identify the characteristic, intended condition, reference requirements, or interpretation needed to reach a conformity decision.
How to check the question before evaluation
The maker can check the wording against the project documents by asking:
- Is the quality characteristic stated in a written specification?
- Is its intended level or state clear enough to identify a departure?
- Will the selected evaluation method examine that characteristic?
- Will the supplier quote be requested against the same specifications and testing requirements?
- Has the interpretation rule been recorded before the result is assessed?
These checks connect the prototype’s purpose to the evidence it is expected to produce. They do not establish the technical requirements themselves; those still need to come from the applicable project documents.
What still needs confirmation
The cited ASQ material does not provide a universal prototype question or prescribe project-specific pass-or-fail thresholds, sample quantities, testing schedules, or complete validation protocols. The project team needs to confirm those details from the governing specifications, testing requirements, and supplier quotation.
If the intended level, applicable requirements, evaluation method, or interpretation rule remains undefined, the prototype result cannot establish conformity to that quality characteristic. It may provide an observation, but not a defensible conformity decision.