For businesses within the hospitality, retail and food and beverage spaces, there is a constant need to innovate and modernize in order to keep your competitive edge. And, in the digital age, one of the most vital tools for accomplishing that goal is a Quality Management System (QMS). These systems reduce operational inefficiencies and gaps that tend to arise along a modern, decentralized supply chain, caused by the number of participants, disparate systems, workflows, and data types.
That said, not all Quality Management Software is created equal.
Some are superior to others.
Perhaps you’ve realized this, thus your decision to make the switch. If so, there are things you must consider when selecting the right Quality Control management software and then migrating to it. To aid you in that process, we’ll briefly discuss some key considerations; and, if you want to go into further depth, we encourage you to download our short eBook on the matter.
Although you may be implementing an ISO Quality Management System for the first time, most organizations will already have some form of technology in place. Knowing this, it’s crucial that you seek a platform that matches your needs but also allows for seamless migration of documents and records, regardless of their format.
As you go about the process, it’s important that you first define your goals. Doing so will minimize the impact of the transition, rendering it as quick and painless as possible.
You need to ask yourself, “What are the issues or problems this new QMS management software will solve?” According to ISO consultant Jenny Kilburn:
Effective QMS’ are rigorous processes, which are able to continually increase the economic and quality value of products and services. They work to enhance the experience of your customers, which, for a small business, is essential when it comes to ensuring customer retention.
With this in mind, potential goals for the new QMS may be:
- Clearer visibility and access to supplier compliance and product quality
- Lower costs
- Overall improvement to organizational efficiency
- Optimization of business processes and consistency
- Increased visibility and control over processes
- Heightened security over sensitive information
- Automated record keeping
- Increased compliance with brand standards, regulations, and laws
Ideally, how you go about implementing the new system should be informed by these stated goals.
Most enterprises will rely on several fragmented, isolated technology systems; and some even depend upon outmoded paper-based processes to handle their operations. Switching to a new QMS can make the transition confusing or could leave gaps or overlaps between the various technologies.
Therefore, you need to ask yourself:
- What systems are being replaced?
- Is this immediate or a slow phase-out?
- Do all documents need migration or just select records?
- If you’re keeping historical data, why and for how long?
- Which people or processes will need access to historical records?
- How will the records for “in-flight” processes be migrated?
- How can this be done in a way to cause the least impact?
- Can the new platform easily interface with single sign-on technologies and other third-party applications?
- Is it easily accessible via mobile devices?
- Will the new system be able to integrate with internal and external data sources?
As you migrate to a Quality Management System, it’s essential that you select a technology that is not only intended to enhance current operations but one that will be able to augment your business as it grows.
Questions you should be asking include:
- Is the new QMS modular so that you can scale into and with it?
- Is the new system built for my projected future needs?
- Will it be able to handle advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and others?
In regard to the benefits of having a QMS that is created for your future business, Paola Murphy of Halloran Consulting Group writes:
Having a state-of-the-art QMS allows you to not just have a compliant quality system. It also provides real-time data access up and down the organization, efficient processes working together in the most effective way, and continuous improvement mechanisms across the entire organization to easily adapt to changes in regulations and internal and external industry shifts.
When selecting new technology, it’s important to understand if the technology partner has experience in these areas and if the solution is built for change.
By selecting the right QMS, you position your business to operate more efficiently, which will let you outperform your competition thanks to innovative solutions and smarter and faster processes.
CMX1 is one such QMS system that gives you that edge.
Our QMS software is built with two primary goals in mind:
Simply put, by choosing to partner with us, we help optimize your programs, pave the way for success, and support you as you grow.
So, if you wish to read more on the subject, please click here to download our eBook. This primer shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes and was written to answer any questions you might have about QMS’!
Should you have more questions than that, then reach out to us. We’re more than happy to answer them.
Sources
Kilburn, J. Linkedin. The importance of quality management system-even for a small business! (2015). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-quality-management-system-even-small-jenny-kilburn-/
Murphy, P. Clinical leader. Moving Your QMS Beyond (Current And Future) Regulatory Expectations: A 7-Step Process. (2018). https://www.clinicalleader.com/doc/moving-your-qms-beyond-current-and-future-regulatory-expectations-a-step-process-0001
Deram, D. Forbes. Quality is the Heartbeat of your Company. (2019). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/06/13/quality-is-the-heartbeat-of-your-company/#49458e5e8aed
The Economist. Total Quality Management. (2009). https://www.economist.com/news/2009/11/16/total-quality-management
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