Collaboratively control non-conformance, corrective action and other quality processes to meet compliance requirements or ensure best practices.
www.datastay.com
Compare quality management software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.
Capterra.com
People Drive Success. Learn How to Unlock the Potential of Your Workforce with People-Ready Business Solutions.
Microsoft.com/PeopleReadyBusiness
The Essential Guide to Continuous Improvement. For Food, CPG & Pharma
www.CDCSoftwareInc.com
Anesthesia management and clinical services for your hospital
www.anesthesiastat.com
Free White Paper: Choosing Software to Lower Long-Term Compliance Costs
www.QUMAS.com
ISO 9000 Documentation, Consulting, Training, Software. Focus on workable solutions, successful certifications and continuous improvement.
Certification | Documentation | Training | What is ISO 9000?
www.9000world.com
Emergo Group provides quality assurance and regulatory affairs consulting: FDA GMP, ISO 13485, Japan PAL, Canada CMDR. Offices worldwide since 1997.
All Services | ISO 13485 Support | FDA GMP Support | Japan PAL
www.EmergoGroup.com
Supplies statistical process control software with trending, analysis, production monitoring, X-bar/R, multivariate SPC charting, and MES integration.
www.massgroup.com
Improve internal procedures with Synergi's Quality Management System
www.synergi.com
Six Sigma Methodology & Resources Solutions For Professionals.
www.Minitab.com
Innovate continuously. Develop a quality by design environment!
www.Camstar.com
Society of individual and corporate members dedicated to the development and advancement of individual, organizational, and community excellence worldwide through learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange.
Six Sigma | ISO 9000/Auditing | Health Care | Leadership
www.asq.org(Paid)
Site published by the Department of Industrial Engineering at Clemson University; provides resources in support of efforts towards quality improvement and education in quality.
deming.eng.clemson.edu
List of online and offline references on quality control, provided by Henry Kim.
www.eil.utoronto.ca
ISO 9000 Documentation, Consulting, Training, Software. Focus on workable solutions, successful certifications and continuous improvement.
Certification | Documentation | Training | What is ISO 9000?
www.9000world.com (Paid)
Paper by J. Gerald Suarez, Ph.D.; published for the Department of the Navy, the paper deals with fear and how it affects quality in the workplace.
deming.eng.clemson.edu
Supplies statistical process control software with trending, analysis, production monitoring, X-bar/R, multivariate SPC charting, and MES integration.
www.massgroup.com (Paid)
People Drive Success. Learn How to Unlock the Potential of Your Workforce with People-Ready Business Solutions.
Microsoft.com/PeopleReadyBusiness (Paid)
The guide provides annotated links to online resources focused on Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge, System Thinking, Statistics, Continuous Improvement, Joy in Work, Customer Focus, Learning Organizations, Quality Management and Innovat...
deming.eng.clemson.edu
Established in late 1994 to offer informational resources to the quality assurance profession.
www.qualinet.com
Collaboratively control non-conformance, corrective action and other quality processes to meet compliance requirements or ensure best practices.
www.datastay.com (Paid)
Emergo Group provides quality assurance and regulatory affairs consulting: FDA GMP, ISO 13485, Japan PAL, Canada CMDR. Offices worldwide since 1997.
All Services | ISO 13485 Support | FDA GMP Support | Japan PAL
www.EmergoGroup.com (Paid)
Site published by Krister Forsberg promoting the application of Quality Management Principles.
qmp.wineasy.se
Compare quality management software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.
Capterra.com (Paid)
Site developed by Bill Casti, CQA and operated by Associated Quality Consultants (AQC); contains valuable links to Quality Management resources and information.
www.quality.org
The RAB site offers complete information on RAB approved ISO 9000 and ISO 14001 registrars, training course providers, and individual auditors.
www.rabnet.com
A forum for cooperation and communication between telecommunication service providers and suppliers. The QuEST Forum is responsible for maintaining compatibility with other sets of requirements and standards and its members sit on committees spo...
www.questforum.org
Paper by J. Gerald Suarez, published for the Department of the Navy; focuses on the teachings of Philip B. Crosby, W. Edawrds Deming, and Joseph M. Juran.
deming.eng.clemson.edu
Helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury or death from consumer products. Site includes recalls, reports, and alerts.
www.cpsc.gov
Site is published by the University of Georgia; contains links and resources relating to Quality Assurance and related topics.
www.ovpr.uga.edu
Rand Journal of Economics article (Autumn 1981).
www.rje.org
Resource for information about global suppliers that have been independently assessed and determined to be in compliance with internationally recognized management system standards such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14001.
www.worldpreferred.com
The Essential Guide to Continuous Improvement. For Food, CPG & Pharma
www.CDCSoftwareInc.com
Anesthesia management and clinical services for your hospital
www.anesthesiastat.com
Free White Paper: Choosing Software to Lower Long-Term Compliance Costs
www.QUMAS.com
Guide to Quality Management
Attention to quality helps you improve efficiency and gain a competitive edgeBut quality concerns don't end with products. Service quality counts too, and the most successful small businesses pay close attention to this as well.
Whether your company produces a product or provides a service, you can implement a quality management system. In addition to improving quality, such a program can:
- Reduce costs by minimizing waste.
- Increase productivity by eliminating time spent correcting and managing defective goods and services.
- Give you a competitive edge since you can pass on lowered costs to consumers.
- Ensure the long-term viability of your business.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Assess your QM IQ
You don't need an MBA to take advantage of quality management, but it's a good idea to brush up on any areas you don't understand before implementing your program.
I recommend:
Take the TQM Tools Quiz from Total Quality Engineering to see if you've mastered the basic tools of quality improvement.
Train employees
Give employees and managers the knowledge they need to produce products or provide services that meet specified standards.
I recommend:
Find online quality control training options at WorldWideLearn.com. PQ Systems offers support, software and training in a variety of quality management disciplines. The Service Quality Institute offers an excellent lineup of training tools and information to help your business improve customer service.
Implement process controls
Maintaining stable processes is vital to quality management. Implement controls that will spot variations in procedures so you can react quickly to get the process back on track.
I recommend:
Enroll in an online training course on statistical process control from QualityAmerica.com, or purchase its Statistical Process Control software, which offers process control charts and reporting features to help prevent deviations in processes.
Eliminate nonconforming materials
Quality management requires that you keep nonconforming materials out of your production runs. Discovering discrepancies and taking action to correct them and to prevent future problems are essential to making improvements in quality.
I recommend:
Quality Collaboration by Design software includes nonconforming materials reports to help you resolve discrepancies faster.
Choose quality suppliers
Implementing a quality management system involves more than tweaking your internal processes. Your ability to produce quality products also depends on the quality of the materials and service you receive from your suppliers. Use tools to evaluate your suppliers and include suppliers in your project planning.
I recommend:
SkyMark's iPathmaker, a Web-based program, gives you the power to include external sources, such as suppliers and strategic partners, in virtual planning and decision-making.
Use the Pareto analysis
A Pareto chart is a bar graph that illustrates problems or defects in descending order. The chart can be used as a visual tool to help prioritize changes needing to be made to improve quality.
I recommend:
Several quality management software programs contain Pareto charts, but you can also download one in Excel at TheQualityPortal.com.
Audit your QMS
Continually review your quality management program. Analyze reports and data to discover processes that need retooling.
I recommend:
The Audits Center of Vintara's ISO9 Web-based QMS tool provides all the necessary materials to perform internal audits. Quality Management International offers on-site consulting for process and system auditing.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide- All divisions or departments can benefit from updating your company's quality management practices, including design, production, delivery and customer service.
- Any product or service you provide should be included in improvement efforts.
- ISO standards is a common buzzword in QMS. Complying with these standards helps companies stay in business by offering comparable products. For example, a light bulb manufacturer needs to know the international standard for the size of a light socket. If the light bulb is just a few millimeters off in diameter, the product is useless.
- The lifecycle of a quality management program includes planning improvements, acting on those plans, quantifying results of the actions and, finally, taking action on that analysis.
