From small family-run companies to tech giants, the business world is changing at an unrelenting pace. Amid a constantly evolving economic landscape and sometimes dizzying technological advances, one thing remains constant: the need to maintain the highest level of quality which endures over time.
Whether manufacturing a product, carrying out a process or providing a service, ensuring superior quality is how organizations set themselves apart in today’s complex business environment. But managing intricate quality processes across global supply chains, production sites and product portfolios can be extremely challenging without the right tools. To remain competitive, organizations must ensure they carry out rigorous quality control, checking they are meeting customer requirements and living up to industry standards.
That’s the job of quality management. Essentially, quality management must deliver consistent product quality, compliance and transparency across all stages of production. While this can be complex, there are tools available to help you achieve these goals. Among the many existing solutions, quality management system software can be a useful tool to manage your quality operations and build an effective, safe and ethical supply chain.
Let’s explore how.
Why quality management matters
We all know the importance of quality, but how do we define it? Perhaps the most often-quoted statement is that of Henry Ford: “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” In essence, “quality” describes how well a product or service meets its designated requirements. Therefore, it is underpinned by skillful execution, a commitment to excellence and intelligent planning.
In exploring how quality management software can help, it is important to distinguish between two related, but distinct, terms:
- Quality management: This takes place during the pre-implementation or planning stage, laying the groundwork as quality standards are established, responsibilities are assigned, specifications are determined, meetings are scheduled and metrics are defined to determine how well the project will perform.
- Quality control: This takes place during the project implementation stage as responsible parties ensure that outputs align with planning and assess performance against the specifications established during the quality management phase.
In other words, quality management and quality control are symbiotic aspects of the same process. While quality management dictates all quality assurance methods, quality control brings them together, like two seamlessly operating cogs in a wheel.
What is quality management software?
Often referred to as QMS software, this integrated management solution provides businesses with a platform or digital tools to help answer vital questions such as: “Is every product the best that it can be?” and “Can we prove our product meets industry standards?” This software centralizes and automates the often repetitive tasks and documentation needed to rigorously capture, analyse and act on data relating to quality management.
Establishing a robust enterprise quality management software makes it easier for businesses to monitor, measure and improve their quality standards. By turning data into intelligence and actionable insights, they can move from reacting to quality events to making predictive and, eventually, proactive quality management decisions.
To do this, QMS software acts as a centralized hub for managing product and service quality, integrating end-to-end traceability, communication, data management, and real-time insights across an organization’s operations. It encompasses workflows, analytics, and best practices, providing complete visibility and control over interdependent activities: quality planning, assurance, control, and improvement.
At its most powerful, QMS software can help transform a business. The right tools turn an organization which is passively accumulating data, and struggling to maintain consistent high quality, into one that turns data into actionable information.
Understanding quality management software
To understand the components which make up QMS software, we can look to one of the world’s most widely recognized and adopted quality management standards: ISO 9000. This family of standards is based on a number of fundamental quality management principles. To achieve these principles, organizations must adopt quality controls which can be broken down into four key components:
- Quality control planning: Identifying quality goals and standards, how to meet them and how to track progress.
- Quality control: Physically inspecting and testing what was laid out at the planning stage to ensure it can be done. This involves confirming all standards are being met and identifying and correcting any errors in the production or service.
- Quality assurance: Inspecting goods and services at the source of production to remedy any issues before delivery to the customer.
- Quality improvement: Reviewing findings from the preceding stages, defining what improvements are needed, then repeating the quality control management cycle all over again.
What is quality control software?
Quality control software is a separate category of software tools designed to manage and streamline quality control processes within an organization. From inspections to reporting, to analytics and strategic decision making, quality control management software can establish clear lines of communication among all stakeholders.
For example, quality control software solutions are critical in an ISO environment as they provide a whole range of benefits, including transparency, risk mitigation, timely reporting, data analytics, productivity, and cost reduction, positively impacting stakeholders’ investments. What’s more, they help companies streamline essential quality compliance while optimizing product development and production.
What is software quality assurance?
Software quality assurance (SQA) ensures all software engineering processes, methods and activities are monitored and comply with internationally defined standards. These standards might be one or a combination of systems, such as ISO 9000, ISO/IEC 15504 or the CMMI model. Throughout the entire software development life cycle, SQA works alongside software development, continually checking for quality issues in each development phase.
How does QMS software help your business?
Conducting business with integrity means always striving to improve quality and compliance while being mindful of operational costs. The adoption of QMS tools helps meet these goals, whether that’s across an entire organization or within specific departments such as quality, regulatory or product development.
Intelligent use of QMS software accelerates product innovation, meets regulatory requirements, increases speed to market and operational excellence while improving customer satisfaction within a smart, adaptable, cloud-based quality management system.
Compliance with quality standards and regulation is a key part of the QMS remit. Robust quality management software systems support organizations of all sizes in seamlessly and efficiently managing every facet of ISO 9001 across their operations.
QMS software trends to watch
QMS software is dynamic and rapidly evolving. Some of the groundbreaking features that have already launched or are expected to be rolled out in the near future include:
- Cloud-based solutions for scalability, accessibility and flexibility.
- Responsive design that takes existing mobile apps a step closer to tomorrow’s technology, boosting agility and ease of access. Similarly, integration with IoT devices helps collect real-time data from production processes and equipment, for better monitoring, analysis and control of quality factors.
- Improved predictive analytics through AI, supporting the detection of quality issues in good time to correct them.
- Blockchain technology to enhance traceability, tracking and verification of raw materials.
- Real-time collaboration features that allow team members to seamlessly work together.
The growing adoption of quality standards and digital transformation aren’t just trends to keep up with, but necessities. Quality management software sits at the intersection of emerging technologies and business integrity. It reduces operational risks, enhances quality control and drives continuous improvement. Organizations with an eye on integrity and social responsibility embrace the complexities of these times, putting themselves in an optimal position to thrive in an increasingly competitive and data-driven business landscape.
Disclaimer: PECB has obtained permission to publish the articles written by ISO.
