The process of implementing a quality management system
ByThe first step in the process of implementing a quality management system is to prepare a list of Customers and Potential Customers that meet the defined purpose of the organization.The next step in the process of implementing a quality management system is to communicate with customers and potential customers and determine their expectations and requirements. Senior Management should determine customer and potential customer requirements by market research and interviewing targeted customers to gain an understanding of their requirements.
The Senior Management should then corroborate their understanding of requirements with the customers.The requirements for the quality management system are ascertained from the market research and confirmed customer requirements and subsequently senior management should define the organisation’s policies.Company objectives should then be defined from the quality management system policies.
The quality management system processes required including resources, realization, measurement, analysis and improvement needed to achieve the objectives should be prescribed by the senior management.The management team should then identify all quality management system process inputs and outputs, including suppliers and customers.For example the quality management system process product realisation could have inputs from planning, training, maintenance and IT Systems, and outputs to distribution, customer and measurement and monitoring.
The next step is to describe the quality management system processes and their interaction, considering the supplier, customer, inputs and outputs of each process.The process sequences and their interactions can be displayed on flowcharts to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the sequence and show the timing of the sequence.Senior management should then define individual roles and responsibilities for ensuring the implementation, maintenance and improvement of each quality management system process and its interactions. The planning process owner’s responsibility in the quality management system would be for implementing, maintaining and improving the planning process and interacting effectively relevant processes including sales and production. The Planning Manager objectives should be in line with quality management system objectives for example 100% Accurate Production Plan.The next step is to establish a Process Management team that has an overview across all the quality management system processes, and includes process owners from each of the processes.
The next stage of implementing the quality management system is to assess each process and determine and the most appropriate way of managing them and if they are to be documented.
Graphical representations, written instructions, checklists, flow charts and electronic methods can be used to define the quality management system process. The process management team should then undertake a project implementing the quality management system processes and their activities as planned that including communication, awareness, training, change management, management involvement and review activities.
Monitoring and measuring should be applied to the quality management system processes.The effectiveness of the quality management system processes should be measured and monitored taking into account such factors as conformity with requirements, customer satisfaction, supplier performance, waste, and process costs. At this stage there should be corrective and preventative actions taken as per the documented quality management system procedure. This should include the identification and elimination of the root causes and potential causes of the problems such as defects or lack of adequate process controls.
The next stage is to identify improvement opportunities for the quality management system based on the results of the analysis of process information.Finally, confirm that the characteristics of the quality management system processes are consistent with the purpose of your organisation.