Quality management system examples

In nearly every industry, you’ll find an example of quality management systems in place. Each are suited to different organizational needs, industry specifications, and quality standards. These are just a few of the more commonly used quality management systems.

• ISO 9001 is one of the most widely recognized QMS standards, both in Canada and around the world. It provides a framework for organizations to implement a quality management system that focuses on customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and the involvement of top management. ISO 9001 certification is voluntary and demonstrates an organization’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. To certify your organization, it must undergo a formal audit by an accredited certification body to ensure compliance with the requirements of the standard. Certification is typically valid for a specified period, after which your organization must undergo regular audits to maintain ISO 9001 certification.
• Six Sigma originated in the manufacturing sector but has since been widely adopted across various industries including healthcare, finance, and telecommunications. While not a standard like ISO, Six Sigma is a methodology used by organizations across various industries to improve processes, reduce defects, and enhance quality. It focuses on statistical analysis and problem-solving techniques to achieve process improvement. Six Sigma is not a company-wide certification. Rather, it is an individual certification that your key employees or decision makers (such as a quality manager) would earn and then implement in the workplace.
• Total Quality Management (TQM) is another management approach, like Six Sigma, that originated in the manufacturing sector but has since spread to other industries. Total Quality Management emphasizes the continuous improvement of processes, products, and services by involving the participation of all employees. It is a holistic strategy for enhancing quality throughout an organization, starting with leadership and strategy down to operations and customer service. Total Quality Management emphasizes continual enhancement and customer satisfaction, with the goal of continued success and a competitive edge in the marketplace.
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach used primarily in the food industry to identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards. It aims to prevent hazards rather than react to them after they occur. HACCP is recognized internationally as a preventive food safety management system and is often a requirement for food manufacturers, processors, and distributors to ensure the safety of their products. It provides a systematic approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and enhancing consumer confidence in food safety.

Parts of a quality management system

All quality management systems share a set of elements that officially make them a system rather than a loosely-defined mix of items and policies.

• Definition of quality: This is an overall direction established at the leadership level that sets out objectives that must be met in order for “quality” to be achieved. It removes ambiguity and sets a course for the rest of the company to follow in order to be successful.
• Policy paperwork: This is a physical copy of the quality management system that can be referred to when an overview is needed. It acts as the “source of truth” for your company to follow.
• Organizational chart: Your organizational chart, assuming you’ve created one, is a visual representation of your company’s hierarchy and spells out who reports to whom. In the context of a quality management system, it adds a layer of responsibility to every level of the chart. It should be clear who is in charge of what and how that contributes to success.
• Data and document management: Quality management systems all feature some formal way of gathering and handling data and documents. It is vital that these items are kept up to date and used responsibly and in accordance with the law.
• Processes: These are predefined ways of working, with the goal of creating maximum efficiency, consistency, and predictability. Processes must be followed every time without exception in a quality management system.
• Instrumentation: Every quality management system requires an objective means of evaluating quality. In most industries, this is done with highly sensitive measurement tools. Keeping these tools calibrated and maintained is vital.

Benefits of a quality management system

There are myriad benefits to implementing a quality management system, all of which can combine to turn your company into a productivity and quality consistency powerhouse.

• Your company becomes more efficient: This is a byproduct of following such strict processes and procedures. After a while, your company will operate much more smoothly because your employees won’t have to reevaluate their approach at every turn. With a quality management system in place, you operate much more nimbly because uncertainty and subjectivity have been removed from the equation.
• You save time: Since subjectivity and uncertainty are mitigated, your employees (and therefore your company) end up saving tremendous amounts of time. This can be as simple as optimizing your shift schedule or as complex as changing how you produce one of your products. By mastering the procedures set out in the quality management system, you will be able to maintain your business’ operations at the same level (or better) but within a shorter time frame, which can allow you to produce more, which can improve your bottom line.
• Employees are trained faster and better: Another benefit of implementing a quality management system is the fact that new employees are trained and onboarded with the exact same material as seasoned employees. More people are able to train new hires (as opposed to confining this responsibility to management), which means you can freely scale up operations knowing that any vacancies you fill can be onboarded and on the job much more promptly.
• Your products or services are vastly improved: Standards and processes, when properly implemented and followed, can lead to consistently good outcomes for your business. Two important ones are better customer service and quality products. By removing uncertainty and streamlining your operations, a quality management system ensures your products meet national or international standards and are acceptable anywhere they are sold. Customer service standards are also important to meet so that every interaction with your company is positive and predictable.
• Your company stands out in the marketplace: Beyond your marketing and advertising, quality products and reliable service will make your company stand out. By adhering to (or exceeding the tenets of) a quality management system, you will consistently deliver quality products and outstanding service, which in turn will generate repeat business and increased revenue. Implementing and strictly following a quality management system is one of the easiest ways you can improve your company’s standing among your competition.
• Your company maintains regulatory compliance: In some industries, such as aerospace or food processing, quality management systems are mandatory in order to sell your goods or services. This is not just for customer safety reasons, it’s also for legal reasons. Companies found not to be compliant can suffer consequences ranging from their products not being sold to being hit with a sizeable fine and other penalizing regulatory sanctions. It can help to hire a compliance manager to ensure you avoid this.

The specific quality management system you end up using will depend largely on the industry (or industries) you operate in, the goals you hope to achieve, and whether or not it’s mandatory to follow wherever you do business. Because of this, it’s hard to generalize every single benefit or drawback of individual quality management systems. Regardless of the one you end up choosing, you’ll see dramatic benefits and operational improvements.