Some say that principles of a quality management system differ when it comes to the importance. Yesterday it was all about Leadership. Today we shall focus on the customer. Tomorrow people engagement will take the top spot. Is that so?

8 principles of a Quality Management System

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of people
• Process approach
• System approach to management
• Continual improvement
• Factual approach to decision making
• Mutually beneficial supplier relationship

Business Management vs Quality Management

It is interesting how some companies choose to follow only some of these principles. Management may argue that customer focus and leadership are at the pinnacle of the successful organisation. Everything else will follow. That is when the “sales” people run the business. What if we put “engineers” in charge? Process approach and data-driven decision making will surely resurface. How many of us have been there?

Is selective approach causing QMS disruption?

Finding the right balance in the QMS proves to be challenging for many. Some organisations run into a risk of prioritising some parts of the QMS at the cost of less favourable ones. Is there a middle ground that can satisfy all? The transformation from pure Quality Management System toward Business Management System may be the answer. Integration of systems and automation can be a great asset too. 

Take this as a thought-provoking post.

How does your company respond to changing business environment without compromising the integrity of the Quality Management System? I would love to hear from professionals who have experienced the challenge.