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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