Have you asked yourself the question whether your company or industry segment needs a quality management system (QMS)? Often this question arises in line with growth, new demands from customers, or a desire to professionalize the company’s processes.
At MasterQMS, we meet companies on a daily basis who want to understand whether they are in the target group for a quality management system, and the answer is rarely black/white. In this blog post, we delve into who benefits from a QMS, how it relates to ISO certifications, and what role a consultant plays in the process.
Who is in the target group?
A quality management system is relevant for far more companies than many initially think. This does not only apply to large industrial groups with heavy processes and many employees. On the contrary, both entrepreneurs, smaller manufacturing companies, service providers and consultancies can benefit greatly from a QMS.
In general, your company is in the target group if you:
- Want to work systematically with quality and continuous improvement
- Must document and comply with certain quality requirements (e.g. from customers or authorities)
- Consider an ISO 9001 certfication or already have one
- Needs to create an overview of processes, procedures and responsibilities
- Will ensure uniformity and traceability in your workflows
In addition, we see that companies in industries such as food production, the pharmaceutical industry, IT, construction and transport often have either a regulatory requirement or a market advantage by being able to document quality systems and standardized workflows.
A Quality Management System and ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is the most recognized international standard for quality management and sets requirements for both management’s commitment, risk-based thinking and systematic documentation. A quality management system such as MasterQMS supports companies in meeting these requirements.
However, it is important to point out that you do not need to be ISO certified to get value from a quality management system. Many use MasterQMS as an internal management tool, a kind of “ISO light”, where structure, processes and improvements are worked on without necessarily going all the way towards certification.
The consultant’s role – from structure to certification
When a company chooses to implement a quality management system through MasterQMS, they are not alone. A central part of our model is that an experienced quality consultant is attached to the subscription. The consultant’s role is crucial, not only to ensure a good start-up and correct setup, but also to ensure that the company gets real value out of the system.
The consultant helps, among other things, with:
- To adapt the quality management system to the company’s needs and industry
- To guide how the requirements of ISO 9001 can be met based on the company’s current practice
- To develop process descriptions, policies, objectives and risk assessments
- To prepare the company for a possible certification audit and participate as a sparring partner in the entire process
This link between system and human expertise helps make MasterQMS a holistic solution – not just an IT system.
What do you actually pay for?
One of the questions we often get is: What do you pay for at MasterQMS? The answer is simple: the quality management system itself is free to use. What is paid for is licenses – and in addition a number of advantages are included:
- Access to the company’s own customized QMS universe
- Affiliation of a permanent consultant with experience in ISO and quality management
- Possibility of scaling and integration with other systems
- Ongoing updates according to the latest standards and legislation
With the subscription solution at MasterQMS, you therefore not only get access to a tool, but to a complete solution that supports the company’s growth, compliance and quality assurance.
Is your company ready?
If your company is faced with stricter customer requirements, experiencing growth, or simply wants better control over processes and quality, then there is a high probability that a quality management system is relevant. At MasterQMS, we offer a non-binding dialogue where we assess your needs and give you an insight into how we can help –, regardless of whether the goal is ISO certification, or simply to get structure and an overview.
Do you have questions or would you like to hear more about how MasterQMS can help your company? Contact us – we are ready with both system and advice.