In generations past, quality control managers stalked assembly lines to inspect products for defects. Any flawed items ended up in a scrap pile. In today's business world, the goal is to eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, such waste. How are companies doing it? By adopting quality management systems (QMS), in which quality checks and balances are incorporated into every aspect of the company.

But 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:

1. Reduce costs by minimizing waste.
2. Increase productivity by eliminating time spent correcting and managing defective goods and services.
3. Give you a competitive edge since you can pass on lowered costs to consumers.
4. 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.