Quality

Quality has multiple meanings like the product feature meeting the needs of customers and thus provides product satisfaction and freedom from deficiencies.

Multiple meanings of quality lead us to a complete definition encircling customer and product feature as below:

Degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfils requirements”

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance is an activity of providing confidence to interested parties that quality function is being effectively performed. Quality assurance is concerned with a broad based quality related activities like Quality planning, quality control, quality improvement, quality audit and reliability.
Quality assurance is concerned with making the proof available to the customers that the product is complying with the contractual requirements and fit for use and fulfils the requirements of quality.

Quality Control

Quality control is a process of measuring actual quality performance with the quality assurance provided performance requirements and act on the difference in performance.

Quality control is the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality.

Quality Control involves analytical and diagnostic techniques and activities aimed at monitoring a process and eliminating causes of unsatisfactory performance for the prevention of defects.
Quality control may include – statistical process control, self control, process capability studies, analysis of feedback on process performance and taking corrective action to eliminate abnormalities in the process.

Total Quality Management
Management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction with the participation of all members in continual improvement and adopting Total Quality Management Principles:

1. Customer-focused organization
2. Leadership driven
3. Total employee involvement
4. Process-centred
5. Continual improvement
6. Fact-based decision making
7. Relatonship Management, with empahasis on communicaiton

Quality Management System

Quality management is a set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organization to establish policies, objectives and processes objectives through quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and quality improvement.

Quality Management Principles

1. Customer-Focus
   The primary focus of quality management is to meet customer requirements and to strive to exceed customer expectations.
   Customer focus gives sustained success which is achieved when an organization retains the confidence of customers and interested parties.
2. Leadership
   Leaders at all levels establish unity of purpose and direction and create conditions in which people are engaged in achieving the organization’s quality objectives.
   Leadership provides the creation of unity of purpose and the direction and engagement of people enable an organization to align its strategies, policies, processes and resources to achieve its objectives.
3. Engagement of people
   Competent, empowered and engaged people at all levels throughout the organization are essential to enhance the organization’s capability to create and deliver value.
   An organization, in order to manage an organization effectively and efficiently, it is important involves competent people at all levels. Recognition, empowerment and enhancement of competence facilitate the engagement of people in achieving the organization’s quality objectives.
4. Process approach
   Consistent and predictable results are achieved more effectively and efficiently when activities are understood and managed as interrelated processes that function as a coherent system.
   Quality Management Systems consist of interrelated processes. Understanding how results are produced by this system enables an organization to optimize the system and its performance.
5. Improvement
   Successful organizations have an ongoing focus on improvement.
   Improvement is essential for an organization to maintain current levels of performance, to react to changes in its internal and external conditions and to create new opportunities.
6. Evidence-based decision making
   Decisions based on the analysis and evaluation of data and information are more likely to produce desired results.
   Decision-making can be a complex process and it always involves some uncertainty (or risk). It often involves multiple types and sources of inputs, as well as their interpretation, which can be subjective. It is important to understand cause and effect relationships and potential unintended consequences. Facts, evidence and data analysis lead to greater objectivity and confidence in decision making.
7. Relationship management
   For sustained success, organizations manage their relationships with relevant interested parties, such as providers.
   Relevant interested parties influence the performance of an organization. Sustained success is more likely to be achieved when the organization manages relationships with all of its interested parties to optimize their impact on its performance. Relationship management with its provider and partner networks is of particular importance.

Why Quality Management System Certification?

Quality Management System Certification demonstrates the following:

• Organization commitment and capability to meet customer and applicable statutory requirements,
• Can be used for second party audits by customers.
• Organization capability to respond to complaints
• Enhance organization’s image
• Organization commitment to conduct risk assessment and plan control and preventive action.

Benefits of Certification/Registration

• Improve product acceptability in international market
• Meet customer contractual requirements and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Reduce the number of second party audits.
• Competitive advantage by improving the quality of products and services.
• Sustain competitiveness through the continual improvement
• Improve communications between all levels of personnel resulting in well planned communications with customers and suppliers to improve efficiency.