An integrated management system (IMS) amalgamates all individual management systems within a business, i.e. elements of processes, standards, and policies. These form a single robust framework with a single set of objectives used by the business to execute its activities. IMS facilitates organizations to work, with harmonized documents, standards and goals, as a single unit. … Read more
Verification and Validation are common processes contained within a quality management system. They are independent of each other (and can be carried out separately) but are commonly found as part of a harmonious set of methods. Verification and Validation have different purposes, which are: Validation assures that a product or service meets the needs of … Read more
An internal audit is a common business activity used to perform several tasks: Evaluate the effectiveness of your business’s quality management system (QMS) Evaluate compliance against a certification standard or set criteria Evaluate how processes are reviewed and maintained Evaluate your business’s performance. As such, Internal Audits are an essential facet of your organization’s approach … Read more
Quality assurance provides evidence to a business that it is producing a great product. It involves several aspects, such as establishing an understanding of standards and requirements that must be met together with an assessment of the methods, approach and results achieved pertaining to quality in an organization. Quality Assurance, when operated successfully, can help … Read more
Information Technology Quality Assurance is the process of monitoring the quality of a product (often software) as it is being developed or maintained. Quality Assurance generally encompasses the entire development process, including standards compliance; requirement, design and code reviews; software inspections; testing; and management processes such as configuration management and process improvement. In this Information … Read more
A typical quality assurance reporting structure varies on several factors, including the company’s size, applicable regulatory requirements and general organizational structure (i.e. team-based or hierarchical). Some roles may be specific when assessing a quality assurance reporting structure; for example, dependent on the industry. However, many roles are functionally driven and are therefore common for example: … Read more
Quality Leadership describes the ability of an entity (which could be a person, organization or other) to provide “leadership” in the attainment of quality-related benefits such as excellence, compliance, effectivity etc. As with traditional leadership, Quality Leadership includes a variety of topics; these include Strategy Goal Setting Planning Employee development. While there are similarities, Quality … Read more
An empowered team is a self-sufficient (often cross-functional) group of employees working autonomously within a business with responsibility for a specific goal(s). Empowered teams differ from standard teams by several factors They have corporate authority to enact their own decisions They are outcome focussed (rather than product focussed) They have high levels of trust and … Read more
Layered process audits (abbreviated to LPA) focus on verifying standards and processes within an organization. These audits focus on verification during the production process and, as such, are an alternative to carrying out audits on finished goods. They have several attributes that include: They occur regularly They often occur at high volume (especially where there … Read more
Quality in Manufacturing is a set of tools, methods and processes which are predominantly geared towards achieving goals such as meeting customer requirements, reducing defects, improving right first time and minimising waste (such as scrap). While specifications and requirements are flowed down from the customer, a business requires policies, processes, and systems to meet … Read more