When any business gets big enough, it’s imperative to put in a quality management system to ensure that every product that reaches a customer reaches certain standards. Of course, the hard part is putting in quality control procedures that can guarantee that every item is properly checked. The key to this process is having a set of principles that guide your quality management system. While different companies may have different priorities, we wanted to share some of the best principles to include in your company’s quality management system.
Customer Perspective
One of the guiding principles for quality control should always be viewing things from the perspective of the customer. Never forget to consider what the customer wants from this product and what they expect to get for their money. There should be a part of the quality system that forces quality inspectors to think about the customer and whether or not they would be satisfied with the product. Are they getting everything they want?
Leadership
While putting in a system for quality control is important, that system shouldn’t go unsupervised. There needs to be strong leadership within the quality management system to help facilitate the process. With strong leadership, processes can be aligned between quality control and other departments. The right leader can help to integrate quality management into everything else the company does, making it an integral part of the business and increasing overall efficiency.
Improvement
Quality management systems shouldn’t just pick out products that don’t measure up to the company’s standards. There should also be processes in place to help employees improve their performance. The quality control department should always be on the lookout for little ways of improving products, even if those products pass quality checks. This means detecting patterns and providing other departments with helpful feedback that can further enhance the quality of the company’s products.
Trust the Process
It’s critical for employees in all departments of a company to trust the quality management system that’s in place. They need to be able to trust the process, trust the feedback coming from quality control, and trust the decisions that are being made. Obviously, it might take a little time for this to happen. However, it always requires a lot of transparency from the quality control department. The methodology and criteria being used to check the quality of products need to be made clear to everyone. This will keep everyone on the same page and make trust a key principle in the quality management system.
Data-Driven Decision Making
A huge part of a quality management system is collecting data about the company’s products. The trick is to have that information be used to inform decisions moving forward. The quality control department can’t make decisions on a whim or based on gut feelings. There needs to be clear data points that are driving decisions. Again, this comes back to transparency, which is a critical component of any quality management system.
Safety
In addition to grading the quality of products, quality management systems should also be able to keep an eye on employee safety. Of course, this requires transparency and communication between quality control and other departments. This can help ensure that employee safety isn’t compromised for the sake of product quality. It also helps to have a separate safety management system in place. That’s why the software solutions from EHS Insight can be the perfect solution. Our system is set up to monitor every aspect of workplace safety. It will streamline a company’s entire approach to managing the health and safety of employees.
If you want a formal safety management system in place as soon as possible, give us a call because we want to be your partner in creating a safer workplace for your employees.
Tag(s):
Quality Management
