By Marcia Marks


quality management systems or QMS can be defined as a collection of business processes aimed at meeting certain goals. QMS entails establishment of organisational structure and responsibilities, qualities manual, procedures, policies resources and many other aspects of a company or business entity. In contrast to the earlier systems which focused on predictable outcomes, current systems emphasise on group cooperation and dynamics. In addition the present century employs transparency and sustainability in the various initiatives.

A QMS process is an organisational element whereby compliance and certification are can only attained when given processes are clearly defined. Examples of such processes include calibration, production planning, and order processing, internal audit, corrective and preventive action. The most widely recognised QMS regimes of all time, the ISO 9000 employs quality, sustainability and their integration. Other QMS like Natural Step put emphasis on sustainability issues with the assumption that challenges will be minimised by transparency, systematic thinking, documentation and discipline.

There are many industries for which the use of QMS plays a vital role. These systems are widely used for medical equipment to ensure safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of clients. Manufacturers of medical devices have the responsibility of using good judgement coming up with their quality systems. Design, production and distribution in a business entail key elements that have to be strictly applied. Such include product acceptance, validating processes, personnel training and qualification and control of purchasing and documentation.

It is necessary to conduct research on the business environment before designing a QMS. Organisations rely on their customers and therefore should strive to understand client needs and expectations. A rapid response to market opportunities results in increased market share and revenue. In an effort to promote customer satisfaction, a company is able to increase effectiveness in the use of resources. This eventually leads to enhanced customer loyalty.

The principle of leadership also needs to be applied to establish direction and unity of purpose in an organisation. One of the benefits of good leadership is that poor or lack of communication will be minimised. With this principle, the needs of all involved parties including customers, employees, suppliers and financiers are considered.

To achieve a desired outcome, resources have to be handled using what is popularly known as the process approach. Such a process ensures that there is better individual responsibility and accountability. Moreover, risks and consequences of every activity that takes place in an organisation can be fully evaluated. The overlap of key undertakings in the company can also be identified through the process.

The system approach to management requires identification, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system. This provides confidence to interested parties with regard to effectiveness, consistency and efficacy of the organisation. Such a system leads to continual improvement of the system through evaluation and measurement.

Quality management systems must always use facts in the decision making process. All the available data on various processes in a firm must be properly collected, analysed and interpreted. The data should be used to guide the changes in the firm.




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