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This workshop explores:

· The basic principles of any quality management system (QMS)
· How these principles apply to all manager's jobs
· Overview of q-m.com's construction and applications
· Explanation of q-m.com's functions and how they are used
· Mandatory requirements of ISO 9000:2000 addressed through the use of q-m.com
· Using the q-m.com tool for internal and external audits
· Adapting other uses of q-m.com to your companies style
· Realizing the benefits of q-m.com tools

1. What does quality-manager.com do?

By providing readily available tools and the processes for applying them to help manage your Quality Management System (QMS), Lockhart is providing a service based on years of experience auditing, establishing and improving quality management systems.

2. Having seen the quality-manager.com demo what changes can I make to apply these tools in our company?

The quality-manager.com tool set comes set up to enable compliance to ISO 9001:2000 requirements. The beauty of the tools however is the simplicity by which you can create your own forms, tables, reports and applications to meet your specific needs. All of these can be web-enabled and integrated into your companies web-site or accessed through your q-m.com account(s).

3. Could these tools also be used by others, the Sales Manager for example?

When we say "quality manager" we are referring to the classic definition of the person who is typically assigned to manage the organization's quality system and foster continuous improvement (see more below in Common FAQs). ISO calls this person the Management Representative. The term could equally be applied to any manager who wishes to apply these proven methods and thereby perform at the level of a "quality" manager. Because these tools automate the necessary functions of capturing, analyzing, managing, reporting and improving trends within the company they can be equally applied by any manager and similar benefits will be realized.

4. How much does the service cost?

The pricing will vary depending on the size of your organization and the supporting services you require to establish and maximize the quality-manager.com (q-m.com) tool kit. A comprehensive package for a small to medium sized organization (< 10 Managers) is under $500.00 Canadian (approx. $300 US) per month, and includes the complete tool set. This will support 10 user accounts, allows up to 25 Data Pages, 525 Mega-Bytes of document and data storage and 1 Giga-Byte of data transfer per month. Often we are asked to supply on-going support services, to the package, to make it right for your application.

Common FAQs

Responses to "Ask the ISO 9000 Auditor"!

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

"Normally the Marketing Department and the Sales organization would define their process for business development and then for Sales. Once defined, all business processes (including the other departments)should be documented. ISO 9001:2000's other requirements include document control, inspection points to ensure the process is being followed and records to validate this, amoung other things. Everyone is responsible for Customer Satisfaction (CS) in any organization, as they all play a part either directly or in support of others! The new standard requires a documented process for measuring CS, monitoring it's trend, and improving it. Hence the need for a well thought out Quality Management System (QMS); system implying comprehensive and all inclusive."

The quick answer is: "the Quality Manager takes executive responsibility in an organization for ensuring that systems and awareness are in place to maintain and improve quality in all the processes, products and services in which the company is engaged."

Although they use the term Management Representative (5.5.2) to refer to the person typically called the Quality Manager, ISO 9000:2000 defines: "Quality management (as the) coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality." and further "Quality Management is the aspect of overall management that determines and implements the quality policy." [ISO 8402]. ISO 9000:2000 further defines Management's overall responsibility for Quality as:

Demonstrate commitment/ establish policy
Customer and legal requirements
Planning: objectives at each level and function
Q objectives
"...provide a framework for establishing and reviewing Q objectives"
Roles and responsibilities/ authority
Management representative - reports to top mgt.
Internal communications
Quality Manual - public manual/communication tool
Control of documents- approval, release, updates, relevance.
Control of records - ID, storage, retrieval, protection, retention, disposition.
Management Review
INPUTS - Audits, Customer feedback, Process performance, Status of corr/ prev action, follow-up of previous management action, changing circumstances
OUTPUTS - Improvements to: Q system -process, products and/or service audits, resource needs.
Records

In my opinion, a list or responsibilities for a typical Quality Manager, might include:

Communications
Policy & Organization
Quality Team
Document Management
Data Control
Quality Records
Audits (internal/ External)
Nonconformance process (& follow-up)
Customer Survey (& follow-up)
Employee Survey (& follow-up)
Process Management
Business Performance
Measure / Monitor
Traceablity / Recall
Planning & Review
Performance Management
Training & Development
Design & Development
Marketing
Legal Requirements
Environment & Safety
Purchasing/ Suppliers
Continuous Improvement

Our seminars help to explain; To maximize communication and align everyone to the same organizational goals and to ensure you can deliver what you promise to your customers, on time, every time!

ISO 9000 and the published criteria for the most Quality Awards programs specify the requirements to ensure you are organized and can manage for quality.

Categories of Requirements:
· Management Responsibility - Leadership - Customer Focus - Planning
· Resource Management - People Focus - Partnerships
· Product or Service Realization - Process Management
· Measurement, Analysis and Improvement - Business Performance

For more Services and other available Seminars please visit our sister site: www.lockhart-leadership.com

Both these Award criteria and the ISO 9000 standards provide the foundation on which to build a comprehensive quality management and continuous improvement system. The award program criteria and/or the ISO 9000 standards can be effectively used to assess your organization's current status, to get you started. A comprehensive and effective system is essential if you are to achieve a high level of success. Remember, the ISO 9000 series is the only system accepted internationally. In my opinion, a good time to apply for consideration in an appropriate Regional or National Awards program would be following certification to ISO 9000:2001, however some customers prefer to utilize the awards criteria and a self assessment approach to reduce costs and pressure on the organization while pursuing continuous improvement excellence.

7. What are Quality Management Principles?

Here are the basic principles on which all good management systems are based. These are provided via a link to the ISO Organization's web-site.

ISO QMS Principles

8. What is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award?

The M.B.N.Q.A. is the premiere award for excellence, offered by the Dept. of Commerce and administered by National Institute of Science and Technology (N.I.S.T.), in the USA. Here is a link to the most FAQs via the NIST web-site on the MBNQA program.

Baldrige FAQ's

Ask an Auditor