How to choose a quality management system

In order to know how to choose a quality management system you would first need to know what a quality management system is and how a quality management system is supposed to work. A quality management system is defined as a set of policies, processes and procedures that are required for planning and executing production development in the main area of an organization. A good quality management system is supposed to integrate the various inside processes of a company and is supposed to provide a process approach for the company's project execution. A quality management system is designed to allow companies to identify, measure, control and improve their various core business processes so that they can eventually improve their overall business performance. Quality management systems are not just designed for manufacturing companies, they are designed for a variety of companies in numerous industries, but you will find that manufacturing companies greatly benefit from choosing a good quality management system.

Many quality management systems are based on eight quality management principles. The eight quality management principles that quality management systems are based on are:
- Customer focus - the system is based on making sure that customer requirements are being meet and focuses on the efforts needed to exceed those requirements.
- Leadership - the systems are designed to create an internal environment in which everybody in the company is involved.
- Involvement of people - this would include involving everybody who is a part of the organization, which would be all employees.
- Process approach - this part of the system is designed to bring about improvements in the efficiency of the work so that the company can obtain their desired results
- System approach to management - this part is designed to improve effectiveness and efficiency through the identification, understanding and management of the interrelated processes
- Continual improvement - this becomes a permanent objective of the organization, what it boils down to is that the company is always trying to improve
- Factual approach to decision-making - the answers to any decisions that need to be made will come from an analysis of data and information
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships - this is derived from an understanding of the company's and suppliers dependence upon one another; basically they each depend on the other for their business.

Here are some important factors to look for when choosing a quality management system. These factors are some thing that you are going to want your quality management system to address.
- Improving the market image of your company and increasing the customer's confidence that they will always receive products or services that meet or exceed their requirements.
- Will help your company to be able to demonstrate that you are environmentally friendly by reducing the impact on the environment that is being caused by your company.
- Will show people that your company has the ability to produce or supply products or services that are safe for people to use or consume.
- Security of information or data recorded in electronic format is safely and securely stored and backed up.
- If your company depends on bids for getting projects you are going to want to choose a quality management system that meets the technical conditions for submitting bids for specific contracts for project design and execution.
- You also want the system to demonstrate compliance with social accountability policies, procedures and practices to interested parties.
- The system should also control occupational health and safety risks in the company to provide a safe working environment for your employees and the system should be able to demonstrating conformity with an occupational health and safety management system to others.
- Should be able to demonstrate your company's ability to supply products that conform to certain pre-determined quality requirements to telecommunications service providers and their suppliers.