Evaluating Quality Management Software (QMS) for The Global Supply Chain

Within the realms of retail, hospitality, and food and beverage, maintaining a supply chain and sustaining quality across the board is a colossal undertaking (even with just a few locations). And, even if you have a Supply Chain Quality Management System (SCQMS), this task becomes exponentially harder as you scale and spread into other cities and states.

Now imagine what happens when you become a global brand with an international footprint. In such cases, you will require differentiated processes and strategies for sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution; not to mention the added complexity of managing disparities in regulatory and brand standards. 

If ever a brand needed an SCQMS, it’s a global one. 

The Right SCQMS

With that in mind, as you search for the optimal SCQMS to facilitate your business activities, there are some questions you should be asking as you evaluate whether or not the SCQMS will be capable of handling all your needs. Below, we’ll briefly discuss some key considerations, and, if you want to read more, feel free to download our eBook. 

Evaluating a SCQM System for The Global Supply Chain

In today’s global market, your business will likely depend upon an assorted array of vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers to uphold your compliance and quality standards. And, at a time when quality is such a critical facet of your business’ success, a growing number of domestic execs are wondering whether it even makes sense to engage in global sourcing, seeing as so many suppliers simply can’t meet the quality standards thanks to inconsistency and ineffective communication. 

Without the right supply chain management system, these issues will quickly overwhelm your operations— and an outmoded technology solution just won’t cut it. As Sophia Finn writes:

Traditional Supplier Quality Management (SQM) systems are not fit for today’s changing and complex business needs. With often dozens, or even hundreds of suppliers, these legacy systems become difficult and time-consuming to manage and report against, making visibility, consistency, and control nearly impossible.

Simply put, it’s critical that you’re evaluating your supply chain management programs by asking whether they’re fit for handling the complexities of the global supply chain. 

Questions to be Asking about Supply Chain Quality Management Systems

There’s little doubt that seeking quality assurance in supply chain management — particularly on a global scale — will give you an edge over your competition, especially if you partner with suppliers who also utilize such systems. According Dr. Lynn A. Fish, an expert on global supply chain management: 

Firms with a comprehensive and operating quality management system have a culture of continuous improvement engrained in them. Therefore, supply chain members will find that companies with operating quality management systems more readily adapt to supply chain integration.

So, as you go about evaluating both your suppliers’ and your own capabilities, questions you need to be asking about these supply chain management solutions include:

• What’s Security Like – Does the system comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? What data privacy standards does it adhere to?  
• What Are the Workflow and Record Management Capabilities – Is it able to handle supply chain activities for different brands, regions, countries, and territories? 
• Is the System Dynamic – Is it capable of supporting multiple brands and/or concepts? 
• Will Various Time Differences Be A Concern – Is there seamless support of records, processes, tasks, and deadlines across multiple time zones?
• How Will It Handle Language Disparities – Can it support multiple languages, and to what degree? 
• What Nomenclature Does It Support – Is the new system able to support your preferred business terminology, or will you have to modify your practices?    
• Does It Allow for Collaboration and Coordination – Does the system automatically allow for harmonized and real-time work between different subject matter experts when necessary? With your partners?
• How Does It Handle Reporting – Is it capable of supporting functional and reporting hierarchy differences?  
• What Are Its Integration Capabilities – Is the system able to support various data types, formats, and integrations with internal and external systems?  What about IoT? Is it future proof when Blockchain becomes more pervasive?

Seeking a Global Solution

With all the intricacies of maintaining quality assurance across a global supply chain, it’s essential that you partner with a technology provider such as CMX. Our CMX1 platform is a state-of-the-art platform that is not only built for you today but is also capable of supporting your needs as they grow and change globally. 

If you need further convincing, we encourage you to check out our latest eBook. It delves into the various things you should be considering as you select your supply chain quality management system—especially on a global scale. If you'd like to speak with an expert and see CMX1 in action, get in contact with us.