QbD, CQA, QTPP,FEA – what does it all mean? Quality by Design (QbD) can be confusing, but it really doesn’t have to be. QbD was designed to promote an understanding of the product and manufacturing process starting with product development. When designing and developing a product using QbD principles, manufacturers must define desired product performance and identify Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs). The product and process is then designed to meet those product attributes, which leads to understanding the impact of material attributes and process parameters on the CQAs and identification and control of sources of variability. As a result of this knowledge, a company can continually monitor and update its manufacturing process to assure consistent product quality.