QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

What are the 7 Quality Management Principles?

The seven Quality Management Principles (QMPs) are defined by ISO as “a set of fundamental beliefs, norms, rules, and values that are accepted as true and can serve as the basis for quality management”.

ISO 9001 is based on the 7 principles of quality management, which are:

1. Customer focus.
2. Leadership.
3. Employee Engagement
4. Process approach.
5. Improvement.
6. Evidence-based decision making.
7. Relationship management.

An organization’s performance improvement can be guided by QMPs. TC 176, which develops and maintains ISO’s quality management standards, developed and updated them.

1. Customer Focus 

Since an organization’s primary goal is to provide products and services to its customers, it is crucial to focus on meeting the needs of customers and exceeding their expectations. An organisation can succeed if it attracts and retains the trust of its customers. Each interaction a business has with a customer also presents an opportunity to provide value to the customer. When an organization focuses on its customers, it can connect its objectives to the needs and expectations of its customers and measure customer satisfaction.

     The benefits of focusing on the customer include:

• An increase in customer satisfaction.
• Increased brand image and brand assurance, leading to an influx in repeat business.
• Increased revenue.
• Increased customer loyalty.

2. Leadership

Leading and directing an organisation are the second quality management principles. In addition, the organisation needs to have clear goals in order to ensure the active involvement of its employees in reaching those goals.

A quality management system that involves top-level management has a better chance of success. A culture of trust and integrity must be established within the organisation, as well as its mission, vision, strategy, and policies. Quality must also be a top priority for every employee within the organisation.

     The benefits of focusing on the customer include:

•  Supersized efficiency and effectiveness in meeting the organization’s quality goals
• Better collaboration of the organization’s proceedings
•  Improved communication between positions and tasks of the organization
•  Elaboration and improvement of the competency of the organization and its people to produce desired results

3. Employee Engagement

In order to create and deliver value to customers, an organization requires competent, engaged, and empowered employees at all levels. Mutual respect must exist between management and employees for a business to run smoothly and effectively. This level of engagement can only be achieved by promoting collaboration between employees and management, encouraging employees to take initiative, and conducting regular surveys to measure employee satisfaction.

      The benefits of engaging people include:

• A better understanding of quality objectives and an increased commitment to achieving goals across the organization.
• Employees are involved in improvement activities at a higher level.
• A greater level of creativity, initiative, and satisfaction among employees.

4. Process approach

In order to achieve success, an organisation must establish a management system that revolves around authority, accountability, and responsibility for managing processes.

The process approach is a management system that is reliant on efficiency and effectiveness. An effective process focuses on improving consistency, promoting continuous improvement and being cost-efficient. Having a quality management system (QMS) helps with controlling this process and the interactions between them. Controlling an entire system at once can be tiresome and time consuming, it is important to understand how your system produces results as the organisation can benefit from this and therefore improve its performance.

     The benefits of Process approach include:

• Improving key processes and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Providing predictable and consistent results.
• By improving process management, enhancing resource efficiency, and reducing cross-functional barriers, business performance is enhanced.

5. Improvement

The continuous improvement process helps your organisation strives to be ever improved by reducing waste. Improvement could take the form of improved processes, products, or services.

Continuous improvement ensures an organisation remain successful while maintaining its current level of performance. In an ever-changing environment, continuous improvement is the key to gaining competitive advantage over your competition.

The benefits of ongoing improvement include:

• A significant improvement in process performance and organisational capability.
• Customers are more satisfied.
• A better understanding of internal and external risks.

6. Evidence-Based Decision Making

The organisation should avoid making decisions impulsively; to meet its objectives, decisions should be based on facts and data analysis.

Effective fact-based decision making can be achieved by ensuring that data is reliable, secure, accurate, and available to everyone. It is important to ensure that the people who analyse data are competent and aware of the suitable methods to handle data.

The benefits of fact-based decision-making include:

• A better way to make decisions.
• More effective and efficient operations.
• A way to demonstrate the value of previous business decisions.

7. Relationship management

Retaining relationships influences business performance, upholding good relationship with relevant parties ensures ongoing success for any organisation. For effective relationship management, identify who the relevant parties are and what is their relationship with the organisation.

  The benefits of relationship management include:

• Interested parties must agree on their goals.
• Stable product and service flow generated by a well-managed supply chain.
• An increased capability to create value for interested parties.