QMS software as a platform
Your QMS - Quality Management System has been around since the 90's. First as pApieren manual for all department managers, far too detailed because everyone had recorded all their activities. Later they became digital PDF documents on the central disk. Word documents were provided by the authors and they made the PDFs. But everything is still too detailed. Risk-based management on your goals became the new approach. If you know where your risks lie, what your goals are and how you are performing yourself, you have focus. You can focus on the important things and leave out unnecessary ballast in your described management system, the old 'handbook'. You will link the described management system with the registrations obtained.
What used to be your (quality) handbook is now a management system platform. More comprehensive: quality, safety, environment, information security, .. It is an integrated environment for the described processes, the risk analysis with control measures, all workflow processes and last but not least the performance - the dashboard.
Management system - the maturity stages
Good to know where you stand. The stages of a management system can be described in a number of steps:
- Ad hoc
The understanding of quality management is limited. The quality control of processes is fragmented and problems are widely ignored. There is a lot of ignorance in terms of quality and there is a belief that everything is good. Formally, there are no responsibilities and accountability is not given. Documentation of processes and practices is limited and often outdated. Communication by e-mail and access to quality data and documentation is difficult.
Tooling: We have already passed this stage.
- Reactive
In addition to the quality manager, only a limited number of people are involved in quality management. Quality data is collected in a limited way, usually in separate spreadsheets. Users wait for problems to occur and only then react. Important quality problems are recorded, but not yet sufficiently analyzed to prevent recurrence. There is no integration yet.
Tooling: A simple quality system for a limited number of people
- Managed
Quality management is important throughout the organization, not just for the quality manager. Audits and controls are carried out regularly. KPIs have been introduced and are being steered accordingly. Ownership and responsibilities have been established.
Tooling: Version management active, revision rolled out, navigation structures, audit system, registration, checklist ISO9001
- Proactive
Quality data is available and accessible throughout the organization. Working methods are up-to-date and laid down in a practical way and also accessible throughout the organization. Problems are recognized and analyzed. Actions are identified and implemented to prevent recurrence.
Tooling: Monitoring the use of the management system, reports; incident – > problem, 5W's / 8D, risk process, various workflowsfor checklists, assessments, approvals
- Integrated and optimized.
Quality management is a spearhead and a value within the organization. A full process integration supports proactive, risk-based quality decisions. Quality data is correlated with each other, if necessary with artificial intelligence. Collaboration is the key to success to drive positive business and customer outcomes.
Tooling: Integrated environment, knowledge base, risk analysis at relevant places/activities, risk carousel, quality calendar, FOBO analyses, dashboards
Features
A management system is broad in scope: the description of the processes versus the operational implementation. In fact, the well-known slogan: 'Say what you do and do what you say.' A management system is therefore made up of various components: the descriptive part with document management and references to required standard items, the risk overview including risk treatment plan and then all related control processes (handling deviations, audits, complaints procedure, check operational excellence, ..).
An overview of 'standard' functionalities of a mature KMS software:
| Navigation / Search |
- Index of all documents
- Overviews per function, process, standard item, ..
- My documents, which I have something to do with
- Last consulted by me
- Trending documents within the organization
- Recently searched within the organization
- Full text search with filtering and search suggestions
|
| Workflow control |
- Workflow processes for review, authorization, modification
- Self-definable workflow if required
- Read receipt if registration is important (e.g. safety instructions)
- Quality calendar to structure activities
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| Risk-based |
- Overview of threats, risks with classification
- Risk mitigation controls
- Assessment of the effectiveness of operational measures
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| Integration |
- Bringing together 'say what you do' and 'do what you say'
- Documentation and registration in a
- One platform as access, but linked to other environments
- Access from different devices: desktop, tablet, mobile
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| Expandable |
- Self-definable forms
- Multiple applications within the same platform
- For every work area, activity and own working environment
|
| Monitoring |
- Consultations by document, by type, by period
- Not found, but searched for
- Never used documents
- Knowing what is being looked at
- Self-definable graphs
- Personalized widgets
- Registering weaknesses and specifically monitoring them
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| Chain / Mobile |
- For customers, who have to 'watch'
- For subcontractors who are required to read instructions (mandatory)
- Using corporate documents together
- At the project location, on your phone
- At the client's bedside, on your tablet
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