| A Quality Management System (QMS) is a system | | | | be used for the organization's benefit. QMS |
| that outlines the policies and procedures necessary to | | | | encourages the firm to make people understand the |
| improve and control the various processes that will | | | | importance of their contribution and their role in the |
| ultimately lead to improved business performance. | | | | organization by clearly defining roles, performance |
| Management system" refers to the organization's | | | | indicators and appraisal systems. The problems and |
| structure for managing its processes or activities that | | | | complaints are not put on the shoulders of the |
| transform inputs of resources into a product or service | | | | employees but are seen as a deficiency in the |
| which meet the organization's objectives, such as | | | | processes so that the employees are motivated to |
| satisfying the customer's quality requirements, | | | | own responsibilities for their job. |
| complying with regulations, or meeting environmental | | | | 4. Process Approach |
| objectives. The QMS of an organization is the | | | | The ISO standard promotes the adoption of a process |
| collective body of processes, operating procedures, | | | | approach when developing, implementing and improving |
| objectives, responsibilities, resources and infrastructure | | | | the effectiveness of a QMS. For an organization to |
| needed to implement effective management of quality. | | | | achieve excellence, it has to identify and manage |
| Each requirement of the International Standards is | | | | numerous activities which are linked to each other. The |
| based on eight quality management principles. Imbibing | | | | application of a system of processes within an |
| these principles will go a long way in enhancing the | | | | organization together with identification and interactions |
| small enterprises' quest for quality. The principles are | | | | of these processes and their management can be |
| discussed below: | | | | referred to as Process Approach. |
| 1. Customer Focus | | | | 5. Systems Approach to Management: Organization |
| Organizations depend on their customers and hence it | | | | as a System |
| is important for them to understand the latter's present | | | | ISO standards view organizations as a whole system |
| and future needs in order to meet their requirement | | | | rather than independent divisions. This helps the SMEs |
| and indeed, to strive to exceed them. The quality | | | | to develop a management system that integrates the |
| system forces an organization to define its customers | | | | various departments. More importantly, ISO standards |
| and test their satisfaction regarding the services of the | | | | link the organization to its external environment. QMS |
| company. The information has to be captured and | | | | forces the organization to embrace suppliers and |
| presented during the course of time and more | | | | customers to the system, whereas conventional |
| importantly discussed in the respective management | | | | orientation does not align the system towards the |
| forum. | | | | suppliers and customers. |
| 2. Leadership | | | | 6. Continual Improvement |
| QMS also likes to see evidences of interest and | | | | QMS expects the organization to be continuously |
| commitment of the management in the implementation | | | | oriented towards improvement. The firm is expected |
| of systems and their monitoring. Besides that, QMS | | | | to show evidence of continual improvement in all |
| also encourages development of "Vision and Mission" | | | | processes. By doing so, the firm will be constantly |
| statements of the firm. It is interesting to know that | | | | updating itself with best practices in manufacturing, |
| usually the mission and vision exist only in the mind of | | | | administration, marketing, and customer satisfaction. |
| the promoter and are not percolated to the lower | | | | Hence, SMEs will be able to keep abreast of the |
| levels of management hierarchy. Once the firm starts | | | | changes in the market and customer expectation, and |
| the implementation of QMS, the vision and mission | | | | change their processes and programs so that continual |
| statements are to be clearly defined and | | | | improvement becomes a culture. Indeed, the drive for |
| communicated across the firm so that there is an | | | | progress is never satisfied with the status quo, even |
| involvement of people in the whole process of | | | | when the status quo is working well. |
| achieving that vision. | | | | To know more about writing management essays and |
| 3. Involvement of People | | | | buy management essays, seek the help of a reliable |
| People at all levels are the essence of an organization | | | | and trusted custom essay writing service. |
| and their complete involvement enables their abilities to | | | | |