2.2 QA as a system
The essence of any Quality Assurance (QA) system is basically the encouragement of good management. ISO 9000 series requires that a company develop its own formal documented system in which it declares its processes and then ensures that it follows what has been declared. To show that it is in fact doing so, processes carried out have to be properly recorded and be available for inspection, or 'audit'.
The basis of a Quality System (QS) usually exists in all companies that have been in operation for some time. They have their own established ways of doing things and levels of authority and responsibility. A good QS builds on this, improves what exists and becomes part of the culture of that organisation.
Commitment to quality has to come from the top. Lammermeyr wrote in 1991 that "most complaints and failures in Quality Circles (QC) are traceable to lack of management support". When top management is committed and proper training for Quality activities is given to all levels of the organisation's staff, an attitude of capability is generated. Members who have been trained and apply their training can develop the attitude that they can meet challenges and solve problems.
Management has to get everyone involved with the company to understand corporate objectives and participate actively in achieving them. If this cannot be done, the cultural change necessary to achieve constant quality cannot be realised. While ISO 9000 assumes a certain standard of quality, quality itself (as we saw in chapter 1) is tangible only to the extent that its absence is always missed, though its presence may not always be recognised. Understanding customer expectations and demands as well as the capabilities of the organisation in meeting them, ideally sets the standards of quality for the organisation. QA is a management system that gives a measure of confidence that a certain level of quality is being achieved in the service being provided. Quality management that a QA system sets out to provide is basically a commonsensical "get it right first time, every time" approach that is based on
- clearly stated corporate and service objectives,
- policies developed to meet these objectives,
- good knowledge of how the customer is to be kept happy,
- using the correct material and manpower for the work,
- staff performing at their best through correct information and training and under proper levels of supervision.
This performance is required to be verified and evidence of achieved standards has to be not only collected but kept.
Activity 2.1
In about 50 words, summarise what you understand from "Quality Assurance".
Back Page