Action Steps for Comparing Quality Management Software
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Evaluate why your business might need QMS software

One of the most critical steps in choosing the right quality management software solution is identifying why you need the software and how you think it could improve your company operations. With a quality management system, businesses can put in place proactive and reactive quality controls focused on continuous process improvement.

I recommend: Read more about the basic principles of quality management systems by visiting the Iowa State University website. Learn more about why businesses use quality management systems by visiting High Tech Rochester.

Identify the benefits of implementing quality management systems

The ultimate goal of implementing a QMS tool is to improve overall business performance, thus enhancing the purchasing experience for your customers. Quality management systems streamline processes and improve productivity by providing one central location for businesses to analyze, manage and process business transactions involving customer complaints, external and internal audits, and supplier product quality. Quality management solutions also allow businesses create reports to monitor progress toward improving the quality of business processes.

I recommend: Visit Quality Management International for more basic information about developing quality management systems. You can also check out IBS America to find out more about quality management solutions.

Compare products offered by various QMS management software providers

Choosing to invest in QMS management software is an important business decision that should be planned and well thought out. It's important to review quality management software applications closely and choose a system that will improve your business processes, increase efficiency and allows you to easily capture, monitor, evaluate and report on quality-related information. It's also critical that you discuss your business goals with suppliers of quality management software so they can assist you in creating custom quality management solutions that will work well with your business structure.

I recommend: Check out Plexus Online to read about its quality management software solutions, including information on the different aspects of this type of software. Read more about the functionality of quality management systems by visiting AssurX.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you decide to purchase quality management software, it's a good idea to choose scalable applications that offer all-in-one solutions that not only automate your quality management processes, but also automates regulatory compliance and risk management activities. This allows you to centrally evaluate trends and quickly identify and address areas of concern.

Guide to Quality Management Systems and Software

Stay on top of your quality management system with QMS software

By Greg Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Quality management systems for production

Thanks to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it's now relatively easy to calibrate your company's quality management system to global agreements. Specialized quality management software helps you get your own systems in order for ISO requirements.

I recommend: ISO standards are very important for any export product, like medical equipment, car parts, information technology, electronics and other technical components. Some vendors of ISO-oriented quality management tools include Master Control, Sigma Aldrich, QCSS, Diversified Data Systems, and IndySoft. There's more on QMS software for meeting ISO standards at Business.com.

Building a quality management system for compliance

Beyond ISO, there are many legal hurdles to getting your widget (or service) to market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for one, and the raft of new rules regarding financial entities known as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). Tracking these requirements is often the task of a quality management system.

I recommend: Quality management tools for services and the food and drug industries can be might specific, but they all work the same way: Getting the rules into the process and forcing your employees to follow them while at work. Training helps but software ensures that things happen the right way. So called "enterprise" quality management systems can be found by ETQ, Syntex Solutions, Policy Tech and Open Pages. Seem more SOX compliance and FDA compliance at Business.com.

Risk management as a quality management tool

Long a significant part of corporate cost control, risk management increasingly comes bundled into compliance and quality management software suites.

I recommend: Generally, the difference is in providing audits. Software that tracks every process, every memo, very instruction and e-mail is a good legal practice, but it also creates the halo effect of quality through oversight. Take a look at quality management systems from Pentana, BPS, SAS, and Methodware. See also risk management software for operations at Business.com.

Quality management software for service industries

Of course, the United States long ago moved to service as the mainspring of its economy. Accordingly, a generation of service-oriented quality management tools have arrived.

I recommend: Find a quality management tool to track clients, follow up, suggest cross-sells and otherwise keep your managers on task. Consider offerings from Aptora, ESC, MetricStream, and Intelex. There's more on the right quality management software tool at Business.com.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For managers, quality management systems is more about personal training than a software quality management tool, yet you can buy software to help with Six Sigma, Lean, and TQM training.
• •  Buying the right QMS software is tricky. Often, it's better to bring in a quality management consultant to train your process and people, then try to match up with a proven quality management software tool.
• •  If you plan to export, get started on quality management systems right away. Many international contracts simply require ISO standards, for instance, to even bid.

1. Identify your business objectives for using quality management software.
2. Evaluate features of quality management software.
3. Find suppliers of quality management software.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Assess your business need for QMS software

The first step in choosing the right quality management software solution is identifying why you need the software and how you think it could benefit your company operations. By implementing a quality management system, business can practice proactive and reactive quality controls focused on continuous process improvement.

I recommend: Read more about implementing a quality management system at TechTarget. Learn about why businesses use quality management systems by visiting Gaebler Ventures.

Learn more about the functionality of quality management software

One of the primary goals of quality management software is to streamline processes using a single QMS tool. Quality management systems provide companies with a central location to analyze, manage and process business transactions involving customer complaints, external and internal audits, and supplier product quality. Quality management solutions also allow businesses create reports to monitor progress toward improving the quality of business processes.

I recommend: Learn more about the functionality of QMS software by visiting Sparta Systems. You can also visit JnF Specialties to find out more about quality management software solutions.

Compare products offered by various QMS management software providers

It's important to review quality management software applications closely and choose a system that will be user-friendly and effective in helping you meet your business goals. The most productive knowledge management system is one that increases efficiency and takes a full-cycle approach to quality management. This approach will allow businesses to rely on the quality management tool to easily capture, monitor, evaluate and report on quality-related information.

I recommend: Check out a list of complaint management software providers by visiting the Forbes website. Read more about IBM quality management software at Channel Web.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Using a web-based quality management software will allow you to access your information from any computer around the world. Many quality management software providers offer secure login using passwords and secure connections to ensure your company information is kept safe and secure.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Principles of quality management systems, or QMS

The underlying principles to QMS are quality management theories as recognized by International Organization of Standardization (ISO), an international standard-setting body.

I recommend: The ISO outlines the major principles of QMS.

Customer focus

If good outcomes are determined by customer retention, quality management software must focus on helping you provide your customers with a quality product.

I recommend: Best Practices, a benchmarking consultancy, discusses customer focus in relation to quality software.

Regulatory compliance and risk management

Regulatory compliance concerns how different kinds of information must be used and stored. For instance, the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 protects patients' rights to privacy. This law requires software that prevents anyone from gaining access to patient records. Risk management helps companies assess strategies and procedures to manage risk.

I recommend: The Fast Guide to Regulatory Compliance from TechTarget discusses the software needs for the different regulations organizations must be in compliance with. Lombard Risk shows how software can be applied to risk management.

Process approach

Process approach is a management term that refers to how processes play out within an organization. The process approach means looking at an organization's processes together, rather than isolating any given one.

I recommend: Praxiom defines process approach and suggests how software can be used to manage quality management

Streamlining processes

Streamlining a process can mean removing extra steps by combining functions and also improving productivity by implementing more efficient applications.

I recommend: Efficient QMS outlines why a business needs quality management software and discusses applications for streamlining processes and improving productivity.

Continuous improvement, or the continual improvement process

Continuous improvement is the theory that improvement happens in incremental steps or as the result of one big breakthrough; but in any case, that the service or product should always be improving.

I recommend: ASQ offers a more distinguished definition continual improvement. Promodel is an example of continuous improvement software.