QIC Guru

What is most important to you, when selecting a software package to handle your quality management system?

·         Low Cost- Up front and monthly access fees

·         Ease of use- Up and running within 6 weeks

·         Portability- Ability to access anywhere without fear of security issues   

·         Training- Complete training and ongoing support

·         Communications- Ability to communicate with customers and supplier on quality and service related issues.

·         Certification- ease of attaining certification to which ever standard you need to certified to (AS 9100.ISO 9001, ISO 14001, NADCAP, 17025 etc.)

·         Ease of Editing Templates- Ability to alter templates to better suite your business needs

      Learning more about quality management software basics will help you meet regulatory requirements, increase customer satisfaction, reduce costs and attain a high standard of process control. Quality management systems are a set of established policies, procedures and processes designed to improve overall quality of goods and services and customer satisfaction.

So how do you find the software that is right for your needs? For many managers, quality management systems are more about personal training than a software quality management tool, yet you can buy software to help with Six Sigma, Lean, and TQM training, ISO 9001, or AS9100. Buying the right QMS software is tricky. Sometimes, it’s better to bring in a quality management consultant to train your process and people, then try to match up with a proven quality management software tool. If you plan to export, get started on quality management systems right away. Many international contracts simply require ISO standards to even bid. Whichever way you go, keep in mind that software is a great tool to facilitate and run your quality management system.