What is quality? Is it a synonym for “good” as it is commonly perceived?
Actually, No!
The term has a deeper meaning to it. Quality is defined as “the grade by which a product meets the customer demands.” For an organization, the higher the quality of its goods and services, the happier its customers will be.
A satisfied customer is an invaluable asset to any organization. It boosts the overall business of a company. But then, how do organizations achieve such goals? How do they manage to carve their mark in such a highly competitive market space?
The secret lies in a well-placed quality management system (QMS).
A company with properly deployed QMS works smoothly and gives out exceptional results. It can, however, ruffle the feathers of employees, if implemented without proper research.
Employees are the backbone of any organization. A well-knit team gives in their best effort, which in turn produces excellent quality products.
The Quality Management System presents a whole picture of how an organization should team up to strategize and implement plans to deliver “High Quality” services.
This article explains QMS in brief, and its importance, and discusses its basic principles.
What is the Quality Management System (QMS), and Why is it Important?
A quality Management system or QMS is a set of protocols that list the guideline that a company must adhere to maintain its desired level of excellence. It helps organizations introspect their policies and refine them for their betterment.
Any core area of a business, be it manufacturing, production, finance, or technology, can be revitalized by having an exceptional QMS in place. The most popular approach to quality management systems is the international standard for organization ISO 9001, which is sometimes used interchangeably with QMS. The fact is ISO: 9001 refers to documents that guide an organization to implement a QMS efficiently.
How does QMS benefit an organization? In the next section, we have explained how companies benefit from an effective QMS.
Benefits of Quality Management System
A lucid and befitting quality management system accounts for long-term benefits for an organization. Some of them are listed below:
- Better customer satisfaction
A quality product will increase the customers’ satisfaction, which in turn is a great deal for a business to grow its brand.
- Better attainment of organizational goals
QMS focuses on improving the overall quality of an organization. Thus it acts as a useful tool in achieving organizational goals in core areas like management, production, services, etc. - Lesser errors in the system
Since QMS follows a critical approach to analyzing a process, errors are found beforehand. The QMS provides a channel for major damage control and also helps in reducing mistakes in the future.
- Happier workforce
Employee engagement is an integrative part of QMS. It helps refine the HR policies in favor of the employees to work in a stress-free yet productive environment.
- Effective word of mouth (WOM) marketing
When consumers get their hands on a quality product, they are more likely to recommend it to their friends and acquaintances, which leads to effective WOM marketing.
Principles of Quality Management System
ISO 9001 has laid out some standards to analyze the quality management system of an organization. These standards or “principles” help companies brainstorm ideas to build an effective QMS for their good.
Let’s check out the seven principles on which ISO 9001 standards are based:
1. Customer First
Customers are the livelihood of any organization. Hence, it only makes sense to keep their expectations and demands in the first place while sorting out a QMS.
Understanding the exact requirements of customers takes a lot of effort and research. Effective communication between the company and its consumers is key. Throughout the process, the experiences of the customers with the product have to be examined and measured by using tools to gain feedback.
2. Passionate Leadership
Leaders are the pillars of any company. A strong, envisioned leader plays a vital role in implementing a QMS effectively. A passionate leader will look out for room for improvement in their team and work out on areas to be improved. A good leader is also open to new ideas, even if it is from their subordinates, to improve the whole process. They will also encourage their subordinates to work better, which in turn creates a beautiful chain reaction for effective work across the organization.
3. Maintenance of healthy work culture
Employees give their best if they feel comfortable and motivated at the same time in an organization. Only if they provide their 100 percent, can the company produce supreme quality goods/services. However, if they slog for hours in an unhealthy work environment, the results may be good in terms of quantity but it is more likely to be of poor quality.
Moreover, an effective QMS will focus on ways to keep the office ambiance stress free and productive. The proper communication channel between the upper management and their teams will address glitches in the system that affects the overall quality of the end product.
4. Process-Oriented Approach
One of the major areas to consider while considering revising policies for quality enhancement is the working structure of an organization. If an organization has a complicated structure, then this may affect the entire QMS initiative.
This hurdle can be overcome by making minor changes and organizing the workflow into divisions and subdivisions. These departments can independently implement policies. It increases the ease with which improvements are performed, which in turn results in a workflow as smooth as a well-oiled machine.
5. Improve Continuously
In order to achieve long-term goals, companies must always be constructively critical of their work policies and regulations. It helps to address the areas where the errors are happening regularly. Your organization must lookout for ways to mend the irregularities and imperfections to create the best output, not just once, but always.
6. Fact-Based Decisions
A thorough understanding of the facts and research-based outcomes needs to be done before making any decision. A company that records data properly is more likely to use it inefficiently to assess the company’s overall functioning.
7. Good Relationship Management
Good relationships with its employees, customers, and distributors are critical factors of a healthy organization. Effective communication is the key to building trust between the parties.
Conclusion
A quality Management system is the need of the hour for an organization to flourish and prosper in this dynamic business landscape. Therefore, companies need to look into their enterprise policies/work guidelines and product quality to thrive in this ever-growing market.
