By
Jyoti Tejpal
Trusted tools Streamlines workflow Comprehensive set of statistics Analyzes data, Visualizes communicating success Quality & reliability Engineering development
Workplace equips team Meet expectations & deliver quality Record non-conformities/defects Initiates follow-up Engage & Perform team Meet compliance requirements
SaaS solution Tightly integrates automated end-to-end testing Creating Executing & Maintaining reliable tests Easier Allowing service teams to increase coverage
Quality Management Software (QMS) is an enterprise platform that helps in automating the procedure of tracking and controlling product defects. Supervisors can utilize the software to check the final quality and confirm improvements in the processes, production, and revenue. The software provides them in identifying, isolating and correcting unforeseen defects in products that could fail to fulfil client needs. It also offers the tools to evaluate the effectiveness of repair attempts and aids in maintaining product compliance as per international regulations. QMS automating the job flows and provides manufacturers in collecting data from users, analyzing it, and implementing corrective measures to rectify any defects.
To maintain consistency and sound quality is the only aim of all businesses. Quality management software provides companies to do the following:
Increase customer satisfaction: The key to business growth is allowing products and services of the highest quality to end-users. Implementing quality management software offers businesses to meet client requirements. It deepens trust in the brand, which upbeats customer loyalty. Quality management takes into consideration customer feedback so that teams can make improvements in the procedures.
Improves rework to be more efficient: Implementing quality processes ensure that production performance is continuously measured so that when defects occur, corrective measures are taken immediately. It saves time and increases efficiency as proper evaluation techniques are applied for consistently good performance.
Enhances financial performance: Quality management procedures can lead to consistently good-quality products and fewer defects. It decreases overall costs because of reduced rework, lesser field service requirements, and the lower amount of scrap generated from the production process. These improve the business’ financial performance.
Enhances market share: With the high market competition, managing the strategies and market visibility go hand-in-hand. Quality management software can provide the client to manage the risks and costs, which contributes to making improvements in the development process. This helps the system in making it defect-free and capable of swiftly reacting to industry opportunities, which increases the market share.
Here are some of the most common features of quality management software:
Audit management: Scheduling and conducting periodic inspections and audits. Ensuring that production processes are as per the organizational and industry standards.
Compliance management: Tracking and managing non-conformance in service, product, process, or supplier to ensure that all defects get flagged in time.
Document control: Document control consists of organizing documents related to all stages of a product in a centralized database. Managing and controlling the creation, approving, and distributing materials and processes to ensure they meet industry regulations.
Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA): Creating a workflow and investigating the root cause or error in products/processes and take action in preventing recurrence of the mistakes.
Risk management: Identifying, evaluating, mitigating, and reporting on risks.
Supplier quality control: Qualifying, selecting and monitoring supply chain partners. Tracking supplier issues like non-conformance.
Complaint management: Obtaining, monitoring, and reviewing customer feedback and complaints related to products and services. Resolving complaints and improving customer satisfaction.
Most products available in the market are priced on a “per user, per month” basis and can be divided into three pricing tiers based on their starting price. An advanced product is rated higher and include some unique features like workflow setup, quality report writing, and advanced analytics.
Quality Management Software informs you about the risks and defects in the workflows through detailed reports. Therefore, selecting a seller and the right tool requires extensive research on the business needs and the available tools in the market. Before you buy a solution, here are some essential factors to consider:
Flexibility to adapt to existing processes: Most often, businesses take years to establish the procedures, which can make it tough to change things for implementing the QMS. The software has to be flexible to meet the business needs with the least amount of interruption to existing processes. Generic software may not always be the answer if you need some level of customization. You must consider software that can configure job flows, report templates, audit checklists etc.
Ability to seamlessly coordinate with other systems: Ensuring product quality is vital, but unlikely if your various tools are working in silos. Operational areas must have visibility into all the processes. This provides you to resolve quality issues easy and prevents any loss in production. The compatibility of the QMS with other systems can streamline operations and helps quick information flow to maintain quality.
Data analysis and report generation: Various processes work in sync with the QMS, which generates large amounts of data. Businesses must focus on analyzing this data using a reporting tool. They should get an in-depth analysis of product defects and yield trends, which can be used to improve development processes. Therefore, reporting capability on parameters, like risks, costs, and KPIs, can be highly beneficial to businesses. Consider adding a third-party reporting tool to QMS.
IoT is detecting problems in early stages: As the Internet of Things (IoT) provides devices to interact with each other, things have become easy for quality managers. IoT gives quality management an edge, with the help of digitized processes and connected sensors. It leverages data and analyzes it for proactive decision making. IoT can detect when a sub-standard material enters the supply chain or while a product attribute deviates from the predefined quality criteria. Early-stage detection saves a lot of costs and rework.
Mobility is connecting various aspects of business: Quality managers must utilize the increasing use of mobile phones to stay updated in real-time regarding each procedural change. Communication between multiple segments, like manufacturing sites, IT departments, and quality operators, expedites time-sensitive decision making. It also decreases the cost of data collection and analytics.
