Who needs a 5 Star Quality Management System (QMS)?

Isn’t a Quality Management System Manager one of those fluffy jobs just invented for paperwork’s sake?

Spoiler alert…No, you really do need a Quality Management System!

Assuring Quality, so that Quality becomes ingrained.

One of my very knowledgeable and experienced colleagues only refers to what many know as a Quality Management System, as a BMS (Business Management System). The reason is, that a system such as this should document and demonstrate how you manage your business – as well as assuring Quality, so that Quality becomes ingrained.

A Quality Management System usually consists of a set of documentation that reflects how you run your business against whatever standard(s) you may choose e.g. ISO13485, ISO9001, ISO14001. If certified by an auditor against these international standards, a level of competence is shown to the outside world that is hard to dispute.

But not just this…

An effective Quality Management System when formulated correctly, also helps run your business, incorporating many of the procedures and tools you need to train new employees in the fundamental objectives of the company, as well as job specific requirements. If constructed with the people who use the processes every day, a Quality Manager can help ensure that the QMS is fit for purpose and as lean as can be, reducing the risk of non-conformity.

A Quality Management System is a set of live processes, reflecting the constantly turning cogs of your business within whatever regulatory framework you are subject to. Continuous improvement and risk management are key principles of most systems these days as they create invaluable measurement indicators that are often asked for.

All this needs maintenance. Standards are constantly evolving, and the regulatory landscape is never flat – think Brexit amongst other things! And therein, subject to audit, lies the purpose of a Quality Manager.

Anna