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certification

quality management representative (qmr)

So now you are one, what’s next?

The following is a cut and paste from the quality manual
5.5.2 Management representative
Top management has appointed the [title of person] who, irrespective of other responsibilities, has the following responsibilities and authorities:
a) ensuring that processes needed for the quality management system are established, implemented and maintained,
b) reporting to top management on the performance of the quality management system and any need for improvement, and
c) ensuring the promotion of awareness of customer requirements throughout your company.

Specific duties of a QMR
Coordinate, conduct or facilitate that; the six mandatory procedures of the standard are documented, the required records are generated and most likely have a leading role in management review, document management, internal quality audits, corrective actions, preventive actions, quality objectives. Nominally the qmr will report to senior management and / or participate in senior management meetings in order to determine the performance of the quality management system and possible improvements. The promotion of awareness of customer requirements means ensuring the product realisation, sales and or customer service processes are in place. Internal audits and subsequent corrective actions will ensure continuous improvement of these processes. It can also mean a bit of creativity in the communication stakes to ensure all stakeholders within the company are aware of the quality policy, how to use the qms and how to report opportunities for improvement. In the 2008 version of the standard, there is now an explanatory note that says the qmr could also have responsibility for liaison with external parties on matters relating to the qms. If you wade through the quality speak, that means you are your company's contact with your certification body. But this is not a prerequisite.

To get a fee proposal for the certification of your quality management system, click certification proposal request.

e-learning

external documents

What is an external document?
quality.com.au's definition of an external document is; Any document, irrespective of format, that your company does NOT have control of the content but it is used / referenced in your management system. Such documents include; standards, legislation, statutes, supplier marketing collateral, etc.

How do you manage them?
The best way to manage external documents is to treat them as any other document in your management system. This might mean scanning a document, registering a document and / or including the document into the document register, intranet or quality manual. There is no need to rename, renumber, etc. Just be specific with the naming conventions as with all other documents and ensure that there are 'triggers' in the system that will ensure external documents are reviewed and or re-issued as needed. This may entail a subscription service, treating them as inventory, ensuring your service provider / supplier is aware of the importance your company. The key is to remember NOT to make any extra work for yourself and to keep hard copy documents up to date at the various issue points. But that's a whole new topic for future newsletters.

The quality.com.au difference
Did you know that all quality.com.au clients who retain our management system support service has all of their standards catalogued and updated as part of the ongoing client support agreement? This is a free of charge service that we provide and it ensures that if any standard is withdrawn, superceded, updated and / or introduced, we will advise you within one week. We can even purchase the standard(s) for you at our highly discounted member rate as well.

Each e-learning article can be accessed on our blog. Click here. If you are a Quality Club member, there is also a number of videos on the topic. Register here.

not too serious

enough said...

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy efficient kind. But this week I got a call from the builder complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I had yet to pay for them. Boy oh boy, did we go around! He even accused me of being stupid. So, I proceeded to tell the builder just what his fast-talking salesperson had told me last year - that in one year the windows would pay for themselves. There was silence on the other end of the line so I just hung up and I haven't heard back. I guess I won that stupid argument.