The Need for Quality
Management Systems
Quality management systems
(QMS), seen as a development of TQM, are business processes set to meet
customer requirements consistently. The strategic intent of a QMS system is to
ensure that the same methods, skills, controls and information are consistently
applied each time a process is carried out. Most quality systems typically
contain several essential elements at their core concerning quality, such as:
- Organisational polices.
- Operational objectives.
- Procedural quality manuals.
- Functional procedures,
instructions, and records.
- Procedural and process document
controls.
- Organisational structure and
responsibilities.
- IT data management systems.
- Customer satisfaction strategies
and criteria.
- Tactical continuous improvement.
These components form a
framework that establishes expectations, duties, and steps necessary to achieve
the desired standard of products or services. The selection of an appropriate
quality system hinges on an organisation's business requirements. An organisation
will possess distinct products, objectives, principles, and quality aims.
Alternative Quality
Management Standards
Specific quality systems may
be more suitable than others. A perfect quality management system should be
simple to implement and navigate. It should align with the required quality
benchmarks and exhibit adherence to regulations, protocols, etc.
Additionally, it should
possess the flexibility to evolve and adjust as an organisation's operations
enhance. In essence, this process guarantees customer contentment. While this
may appear straightforward, specific challenges must be tackled for an organisation's
QMS to prosper. Bearing this in mind, consider the subsequent queries:
- Are the same mistakes consistently
repeated?
- Is there an increased need for
visibility between teams or functions?
- Does the organisation have a high
customer turnover rate, negative customer feedback, or reduced sales and
profitability?
QMS systems come in various
types, tailored to specific industries and roles. The ISO family of quality
standards is prevalent across many industries. Specific accreditations and
standards are more industry-specific, with common management systems utilised
across different sectors being:
- General business: ISO 9001.
- Service industry: ISO 2000000.
- Medical device: ISO 13485.
- IT: ISO 27001.
- Automotive: IATF16949.
- Food: ISO 22000.
- Aerospace: AS 9100D.
Organisational Development
of Quality
Quality control management
ensures that an organisation's deliveries and delivery processes align,
ensuring all business phases focus on the same goal. When discussing QMS,
individuals may refer to one of three things:
- Strategy: This business philosophy is about
managing processes and procedures.
- Process: The organisation's system for
nurturing and managing information.
- Technology: The technology product, commonly
utilised in the cloud, enables teams to document, analyse, and report on
processes.
QMS technologies are a
central hub for managing customer feedback, issues, policies, suppliers,
documents, risks, incidents, training records, equipment, audits, and
inspections. They can automatically integrate data from enterprise resource
planning (ERP) systems or mobile applications to send notifications for review
requests, change updates, and alerts.
A QMS organises this data,
granting individuals access to personalised to-do lists while controlling
permissions for viewing specific information. It provides a comprehensive
overview of business processes to facilitate improvement initiatives.
The Benefits of a Quality
Management System
Using QMS software offers
numerous benefits, such as avoiding expensive errors, safeguarding an
organisation's reputation, and promptly addressing incidents. This software
allows for the automation of workflows to enhance communication and streamline
process management. QMS software can boost productivity and empower an
organisation's quality, risk, audit, and operations teams. In addition, it also
enables:
- Accurate risk forecasting.
- Improved quality metrics.
- An increase in customer
satisfaction and retention.
- The enrichment of products and
services.
- An organisation can easily win more
business by certifying to ISO standards.
Effective quality control
management consists of four essential components:
- Quality Control Planning: The initial phase of quality
management involves planning. It is essential to define an organisation's
objectives and establish a starting point. An organisation should specify
its quality benchmarks, the conditions for meeting them, and the methods
for verifying compliance with these standards. During this planning phase,
factors include stakeholder expectations and priorities, the
organisation's success criteria, relevant legal standards, designated
roles in the quality management process, and the frequency of process
evaluations for enhancements.
- Quality Control: The initial phase of quality
management involves planning. Defining an organisation's objectives and
establishing a starting point is essential. An organisation should specify
its quality benchmarks, the conditions for meeting them, and the methods
for verifying compliance with these standards. During this planning phase,
factors include stakeholder expectations and priorities, the
organisation's success criteria, relevant legal standards, designated
roles in the quality management process, and the frequency of process
evaluations for enhancements.
- Quality Assurance: Quality control involves inspecting
products or services in the field. In contrast, quality assurance reviews
the delivery process of services or goods manufacturing. By examining
goods or services at the source, an organisation can identify mistakes before
they reach the customer and refine processes to prevent future errors. For
optimal results, quality assurance should be regularly conducted through
independent audits, preferably by a third party that is not financially or
emotionally tied to the outcome.
- Quality Improvement: After completing the quality
control process, it is essential to thoroughly review an organisation's
findings and develop ways to enhance methods for the future. Quality
control management requires a willingness to implement necessary changes.
Continuous improvement is the ultimate objective for every successful
organisation. Therefore, gathering an organisation's data and reassessing
the processes and the products with compliance in mind will initiate and
update a quality control management process consistently. With each
iteration, an organisation will achieve a superior product, increased
customer satisfaction, and greater profits.
Which Quality Management
System Standard
Numerous quality management
systems exist, each presenting various pros and cons. Some of the most popular
ones include:
- Continuous Quality Improvement
(CQI): This
system prioritises ongoing minor enhancements over processes and
functions. It highlights the significance of teams and individuals in
guaranteeing product and service quality. A standard tool for continuous
improvement is the four-step quality model known as the plan-do-check-act
(PDCA) cycle.
- Standardised Systems (SS): Utilising recognised guidelines and
adhering to approved regulations is essential. ISO certifications like ISO
9001 are common examples. To meet ISO standards, organisations must meet
the quality, documentation, and auditing criteria. While ISO certification
is typically optional, specific sectors and industries may mandate it.
- Total Quality Management (TQM): This approach to quality
management emphasises ongoing, organisational-wide initiatives to
guarantee lasting customer loyalty and success. It also emphasises
measuring processes and implementing controls to achieve continuous
enhancement.
A quality management system
(QMS) comprises business processes and procedures to ensure services and
products meet and exceed customer expectations. These systems are typically
replicable and quantifiable and focus on ongoing enhancements. ISO 9001 illustrates
a quality management system.
QMS systems can deliver
various business advantages, but they take time to install. Introducing a QMS
cannot fix an organisation lacking quality-focused leadership. A shift towards
a quality-centric culture requires strong backing from the leadership team and
dedication to change.
Leadership establishes the
atmosphere for motivating teams to devote time, effort, and resources to
quality management. Proceeding with a unified agreement on the significance of
quality management and its impact on the organisation's prosperity motivates
team members to engage in the implementation process, promoting the importance
of compliance as a superior practice, not just a minimum requirement.
Offering incentives for
involvement that underscore the value of QMS when employees feel that
management values their insights and viewpoints can enhance morale by granting
staff a feeling of responsibility for the organisation's achievements. Quality
management systems should also be complemented with education and training to
ensure all individuals can use them proficiently.
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