QUALITY
ASSURANCE (QA)
Q.
A. is required Accreditation for contracts with Public Sector and
Corporate Organisations. For those considering going for Olympic 2012
contracts, or public funding, or bank funding, this certification
is essential.
Quality assurance (QA) is the activity of providing evidence needed
to establish confidence among all concerned, that quality-related
activities are being performed effectively.
QA
assures the existence and effectiveness of procedures that attempt
to make sure - in advance - that the expected levels of quality will
be reached.
QA covers all activities from design, development, production, installation,
servicing to documentation. It introduced the sayings "fit for
purpose" and "do it right the first time".
Former standard Quality Assurance standard ISO 9000. used to be called
ISO 9001, ISO 9002 or ISO 9003 and is now known as ISO 9001:2000 Other
codes include: ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard,
BS EN ISO 13485, the medical devices standard and ISO/IEC 17025, the
standard that applies to laboratories and test houses.
Quality management ought to be static - "right first time".
ISO 9001 is expanding rapidly into many countries. Organisations should
place greater emphasis on employee involvement, on satisfying their
customers and understanding on their customer needs.
Working with Accredited consultants to achieve accreditation
Installing a system includes the following stages:
· Initial meeting to gain knowledge of your organization &
its needs.
· Drafting of Management System for your comment/approval.
· Incorporation of your comments/Management System Completion.
· Assistance in implementation
· Audit of system &/or training of internal auditor/s .
· Subsequent revision of Management System as is required
· Assistance in application for Assessment/Audit
· Preparation for Assessment.
· Representation/Support during Assessment.
The time it takes depends on the size of the organisation
The Major Reasons For Registering for ISO 9000 are :-
· Customers Say You Have To
· Competition is Doing It
· To Get One Step Ahead of The Competition
· Restructure Your Business
· Need to obtain CE mark or Kite Mark
Very Few Companies Do It Initially To Improve Their Business
Survey of "Captains of Industry" by MORI gave the following
results.
Improved management control 82% Reduced wastage 60%
Improved customer satisfaction 82% More effective marketing 52%
A motivated workforce 62% Reduced costs 50%
Increased opportunity to win work 73% Increased market share 49%
Increased productivity/efficiency 83% Increased exports 24%
Management
Strategy
The
owners and management of a business should:
· understand the general introductory concepts associated with
quality assurance,
· be able to discuss the historical trend that quality assurance
has followed and what the future direction could be,
· interpret key quality definitions and understand any jargon
associated with Quality Assurance (QA),
· understand the basic principles of quality management,
· communicate 'quality' within the organisation and obtain
feedback regarding acceptance and performance,
· establish accountability and delegation of quality responsibilities,
Quality
Management Systems
Business
should:
· understand Quality Management System (QMS) (eg. BS EN ISO
9000:2000), the systems or QMS model approach to QA and what QMSs
are available and appropriate,
· determine how these QMSs are interpreted, implemented and
monitored (audited) in particular organisations (not only manufacturing
organisations but service and software),
· understand other QMS systems such as QS 9000 (the automotive
standard),
· be able to explain what an the integrated management system
approach is and how it involves other key areas of an organisation's
business, e.g. Health & Safety, Security, Training, Environment
etc.
Quality
Audit:
Business
should:
· understand the auditing standards.
· know how to prepare for an audit.
· know what an auditor is looking for.
Law:
Business
owners and Management should:
· understand the rudiments of Criminal and Civil & Business
Law,
· understand the contents and implication on the Quality Department
and organisation of; the Consumer protection and other acts, EC Directives
and European Legislation
· describe procedures associated with product liability and
product recall.
Customer
Feedback:
Business
owners and Management should be able to:
· describe schemes for identifying, measuring, monitoring,
analysing and improving customer satisfaction,
· understand customer liaison and feedback systems, Stakeholder
analysis,
· conduct national and international surveys of quality performance.
Management
Philosophy
Business
owners/Management should:
· motivate for quality,
· examine the quality philosophy and the various approaches
suggested by influential individuals,
· understand the contents and relative merits of the following
Quality Frameworks and Award schemes; European Foundation for Quality
Award, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Deming Prize, Investors in People,
Charter Marks and Kitemarks, Customer First, Picasso…
Computer
Aided Quality:
Business
owners and Management should:
· understand Computer Aided Quality Assurance,
· understand how computers/the internet can be used in the
quality environment and what the advantages and disadvantages are.
Note:
There can be no one solution or approach to achieving quality because
it can never be completely achieved. There will always be new advances
and improvements. However, with technology and the general public
demanding ever higher quality and performance standards, then quality
assurance will soon be compulsory for all businesses. Costs Vary from
£350 - £1500. per day. This is a Capital Cost, and can
be included in a Business Plan. Banks might look favourably on lending
to cover this cost, as improvement in business prospects is almost
guaranteed.
