As a consultant, KAM manager, auditor or otherwise involved in business operations, you encounter numerous issues in daily practice. Management systems and business operations are often experienced internally as two separate worlds. On the one hand, people often see a management system as something exotic in which only a few within the organization are involved. The reality is often different. In practice, quality management actually concerns every employee.
That the phenomenon should not exist from a business point of view is evident when we define business operations and quality management. For convenience, the focus is now deliberately on quality, but this can of course apply to other areas such as health and safety, environment, information security to name but a few.
Definition of quality management
As a definition of quality management, we can use the following:
Quality management is a branch of management. It aims to maximize the quality of a product, production process, service or organization. Quality management is not a defined field, but is found in all parts of a company.
Source: Wikipedia
In practice, a well-implemented quality management system ensures satisfied customers.
Definition of business operations
As a definition of business operations, we can use the following:
Business is about the way a business or organization is run or managed. Another word used for business operations is management.
Source: Ensie
An important observation is that business operations include everything a company puts into action to keep its customers happy.
So now what is immediately noticeable is that both operations and quality management are part of management's remit and have customer satisfaction as their goal.
This fact leads directly to the question of why then is quality management in practice often considered something "exotic" and not part of business operations? There are a number of explanations for this.
1. "We have a guy for that.
Do you recognize this statement? I have come across it regularly in practice. This "little man" within the company makes sure that the quality management system is functioning properly. And that is strange. Is that 'little man' within the organization also in charge of billing? About preparing quotes and confirming orders? About designing the products? About handling all deviations? Does that make a quality management system not apply to all your employees and not exclusively the domain of the 'little man'?
2. Primary process = Operations
In many organizations there is a notion that business operations is only about all the activities within the primary process. The process within which your product or service is created. Is that correct? If customer satisfaction is the goal, isn't it important to have knowledgeable employees within your organization? With properly calibrated measuring equipment? That your customer is dealing with a learning organization in which mistakes are evaluated so that they do not happen a second time?
3. Terminology
Many organizations with a quality management system, encounter ISO standards as soon as the system needs to be certified. A whole new world then opens up for many employees, especially in terms of the terminology used. The person in your organization in charge of maintaining the quality management system may unknowingly sprinkle terms around the organization that are not understood. It won't be the first time you lose the attention of your employees as soon as the terms "identification," "traceability," "monitoring," etc. are dropped. The thought then becomes, "This probably isn't about me.
4. No added value
Incorrect advice and interpretation of ISO standards can result in activities taking place within your organization without added value. For example, as soon as a decision is made to set up a "vendor rating" methodology for assessing suppliers, while in practice this is already being done differently.
5. Paper tiger
Quality management systems are still often associated with a paper tiger.
The proper functioning of quality management systems is also subject to evolution. The idea that quality can only be experienced from paper (read: work instructions) is long gone; an insider would reply, "That was from the end of the last century.
Now how can a consultant, KAM manager, auditor or otherwise involved person help to better align the perception of a quality management system with business operations?
The key here lies with management. It is, after all, a quality management system. In addition, management is responsible for customer satisfaction. What choices can management make now to contribute to this?
1. The 'male' within your organization is management itself
Management may of course choose to be supported by internal or external persons to implement and maintain the quality system. Ultimately, it must hold itself responsible for the proper functioning of the quality management system. Here it is important to realize that the "delusion of the day," relates to both operations and the quality management system. After all, doesn't a properly implemented quality management system also aim for satisfied customers? Isn't exotic thus something for a faraway vacation resort and precisely not for your organization?
2. Operations = all processes.
The idea that business management only has to do with primary processes only covers part of the load. Again, the solution lies in broader management involvement. No primary process can function optimally without the influence of the management , improvement and support processes . Showing good leadership is the key word here. After all, good leadership is not about wanting to be the best yourself, but about letting the entire organization function at its best.
3. Company-specific terminology
Management must guard against too many terms from the standards like ISO 9001, seeping into the organization where it is not understood. It only takes one session of attention to determine which internal, already used terms, align with the terms from the standard. For example, "identification" internally within your organization might be called "labeling" and "traceability" might be referred to as "retrieval. In other words, make the most common terms relevant to your organization.
4. Value-added only
Tasks that are performed where no added value is assigned, but for example must be 'according to ISO' , are best avoided by management. Again, a mindful session can ensure that insufficient knowledge about process and standard interpretation is avoided and tasks can be performed without evoking a feeling that something is 'pointless' or 'redundant,' but still working in accordance with the standard.
5. Working digitally
If the term paper tiger is something from late last century, the current era can be characterized as the digital age. And working digitally means more than working with word processors and spreadsheets. ISO2HANDLE 's white paper clearly describes how digital working and a quality management system go hand in hand. Working with a digitized management system is thus the future.
What can ISO2HANDLE contribute at this point?
ISO2HANDLE can make an important contribution to the perception that good management includes the proper functioning of a quality management system.
1. Everyone has access to system
With ISO2HANDLE, all your employees have access to the management system. This is no longer accessible only to the "little man" you may currently have made responsible for maintaining the quality management system. This creates many new opportunities for your organization by allowing multiple employees, including management itself, to access the digital system and assign tasks.
2. All processes in one system
Because ISO2HANDLE is designed to provide support for all processes, using the system helps develop awareness that business operations goes beyond your organization's primary process.
3. Company-specific terminology
It is possible within ISO2HANDLE to apply your own terminology in all places within the application. ISO2HANDLE allows flexibility in handling "predefined" terminology.
4. Create your own added value
Because it is possible within ISO2HANDLE to create, modify, or structure forms yourself that correspond to your current quality management system, you can decide how you want to realize important registrations. The experience of "no added value" is thus a thing of the past.
5. Working digitally
With ISO2HANDLE, you work according to the latest insights on what working with a digitized management system means in practice. Because that a quality management system is synonymous with a paper tiger is out of date.
If you want to take up the challenge to make the experience of your management system (better) match your business, visit our website. ISO2HANDLE cooperates with knowledgeable partners who, together with you and ISO2HANDLE, can take this a step forward.
Do you have more questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!
