Quality Management System: increasing quality strategically
What is a Quality Management System?
For the success of your services, products, and processes, two particularly important factors can be highlighted: a constant high quality and the resulting satisfaction of your customers. By introducing a Quality Management System (short QMS), your company will only benefit – for example, through a new uniform quality thinking of your employees, a reduction of error costs, and a competitive advantage on the market. The Quality Management System aims to create a systematic quality management and continuously improve the quality of services, products, and processes through defined measures. The establishment of a Quality Management System is applicable to all companies regardless of their industry, size, or structure. What Quality Management Systems are there? The most common standard that covers the requirements for a Quality Management System is the ISO 9001 standard. Other industry-related Quality Management Systems are, for example, the VDA 6.1 and IATF 16949 for the automotive industry, EN 9100 for aviation, ISO 13485 for medical technology, and TL 9000 for telecommunications companies.
Extrinsic and intrinsic reasons for a Quality Management System
Companies decide to set up a Quality Management System for extrinsic or intrinsic reasons. Extrinsic reasons exist if the introduction of a Quality Management System is legally required by certain industry standards. Among others, this is the case in the care sector. In most cases, though, the establishment of a Quality Management System is a strategic decision to benefit from the advantages that have an effect on the entire company.
What are the benefits of a Quality Management System?
A Quality Management System offers you the following benefits:
- A constantly high quality management
- Transparency and optimization of processes
- Increase in efficiency
- Quality thinking among employees
- Reduction of error costs
- Cost savings
- Constructive changes to the services, products, and processes
- Meeting customer needs and requirements
- Increase of customer satisfaction
- Continuous customer loyalty
- Competitive advantage on the market
- Improved market access
- Opening up new national and international markets
- Trustful business relationships
- Compliance with legal requirements
- Better chances in tenderings
- Possible integration with an Environmental Management System
Some advantages can only be gained through successful ISO 9001 certification. Is an ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System relevant to you? We would be happy to advise you in this regard in a personal initial meeting. Simply get in touch with us.
The certification of a Quality Management System
To confirm the conformity of your quality management with internationally recognized standards, have your Quality Management System certified according to ISO 9001. This way, you comply with the specified minimum requirements and ensure the continuous high quality of your services, products, and processes. As part of the certification, for example, the processes, responsibilities, and resources of your quality management are assessed by a Quality Management Officer. Strengthen your Quality Management System and receive more information about ISO 9001 certification.
Who implements a Quality Management System in the company?
When introducing a Quality Management System, you will receive support from a Quality Management Officer. Especially external Quality Management Officers embody a great benefit for you due to their expertise and experience: They create the conditions for an effective and standard-compliant Quality Management System in the sustainable sense of your company. Thereby, your own resources are significantly relieved and can be used for the core tasks of quality management. Find out more about the Quality Management Officer or get advice directly from our experts in this regard.
The structure of a Quality Management System
A clearly structured set-up is crucial for the Quality Management System. There are ten main chapters relating to the Quality Management System in the ISO 9001 standard that are based on a High-Level Structure since a revision in 2015 and must be provided during certification.
- Area of application
- Normative references
- Terminology
- Context of the organization
- Leadership
- Planning
- Support
- Operations
- Performance evaluation
- Improvement
This standard structure also ensures compatibility with other management system standards such as the ISO 14001 standard in environmental management.
Cost and time effort for establishing a Quality Management System
For the establishment of a Quality Management System, you can expect about one year. The financial costs can be less generalized and depend, for example, on the following factors:
- The number of employees
- The size of the company
- The complexity of the structure
- Your company’s previous experience in quality management
Your benefit with us: The entire cost and time effort can be calculated right from the start. Simply arrange an initial meeting with us so that we can make you an individual offer.
Flexibility in setting up a Quality Management System
According to the definition of Quality Management Systems, the structure is characterized above all by flexibility. In the course of certification, the minimum requirements of the ISO 9001 standard must be met, but you can still adapt them quite flexibly to the needs of your company. Due to our many years of experience with Quality Management Systems, we know what you need to pay attention to in the course of the set-up and certification. Would you like to learn more about our services? Arrange an initial meeting with our experts now so that we can talk about setting up your Quality Management System.
Quality Management Systems are essential
Your customer asks whether you have a Quality Management System? This is when you should become alert and deal with the issue at the latest. Be prepared and establish a Quality Management System for your company to be able to answer this customer question with a Yes at any time. The complex requirements for a Quality Management System are almost impossible to realize without support. In a conversation, it is easy to clarify where your needs are and where we can help you. We are looking forward to the first meeting with you.