What Is Quality Management?

Introduction

The project quality management process is the principle applied to ensure that the project results and the process of delivering project results meet the necessary needs of the stakeholders. There is no double that, quality management plays a key role in the developing process of most organizations and determines the success of the project.

However, not everyone fully understands the definition of quality management as well as how to apply this process to the operation of the organization. The following article will provide beneficial information to help you have a more specific perspective on this field.

The definition of quality management

Quality management is the coordinated activities to direct and control an organization or project in terms of quality. Quality direction and control generally includes quality policy and quality objectives, quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement.

Quality management is now applied in every industry, not only in manufacturing but in all fields, in all types of organizations, from large to small scale, regardless of participation in international markets. or not. Quality management ensures the organization does the right things and the things that matter, following the philosophy of “doing the right thing” and “doing the right thing every time”.

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Why is quality management important?

In any industry, especially companies that want to compete in the international market, quality management plays an important role in the survival of the project and is a necessary factor to help project manage activities well.

Thanks to the project quality management, you can:

• Improve competitiveness

When quality management is good, the number of defective goods and goods to be produced is less, leading to a reduction in labor and material costs. The cost reduction but the value customers receive from the product still ensures the quality, the price is low, leading to the increasingly enhanced competitiveness of the project.

• Meeting the requirements of the society

The needs of society are getting higher and higher, along with the increasingly fierce competition in the market. Therefore, projects need to improve quality in accordance with domestic and international standards to enhance prestige and affirm the brand.

• Good implementation of social responsibility 

When using resources and materials well, it will avoid waste and bad economic, social and environmental consequences. Maximizing cost savings while ensuring quality, the production will be strictly controlled as well as the optimal management method for the organization.

• Contributing to national benefits

When quality is guaranteed, it not only helps projects develop and have a position in the market but also affirms the country’s reputation in the international market and the quality of life of customers. Since then, the population has also gradually increased.

Principles of quality management

• Principle 1: Customer orientation

Quality is customer-oriented because retaining and attracting customers will help the organization gradually dominate the market.

Therefore, besides meeting the current needs of customers, it is necessary for improvement and innovation in technology to quickly respond and exceed their expectations by reducing errors, waste products and even complaints occurs.

• Principle 2: Leadership

Quality management cannot be effective without the foresight and radical commitment of management to specific, clear, and customer-oriented values.

Leadership needs to be in sync between the operational goals and the direction of the organization. Furthermore, directing the development of strategies and measures to mobilize and encourage the participation and creativity of all employees in planning and achieving goals to help improve each person’s personal capacity as well as achieve high results. possible.

• Principle 3: Members’ participation

The human factor is one of the important factors of the organization, their full participation with their skills, experience, understanding, enthusiasm, and sense of responsibility will help improve internal strength. for the organization.

Each person from high to low position, with any position, has an equally important role in the implementation of quality management. Therefore, the leadership needs to create conditions for each individual to learn and improve their knowledge, professional qualifications, and skills to successfully complete their jobs and positions.

• Principle 4: The process approach

The result of creating value for the organization is a set of related activities carried out in a logical sequence known as a process. Logically defining and managing the processes implemented in the organization and specifically managing the interactions between those processes is known as the “process approach”.

The management of quality must be viewed as a process, the results of quality management will be good when the activities in the process of creating a product are well managed and interactive. It is a sequence of operations from input to output.

• Principle 5: Systematic

An organization or project cannot solve the quality problem well when dealing with individual factors affecting the quality management system but must consider and solve them in a synchronous and harmonious manner. 

Concentrating resources to accomplish the common goal of the organization through the identification, understanding, and systematic management of processes related to goals, development strategies to bring efficiency to the organization.

• Principle 6: Continuous improvement

Principle 1 also clearly states that quality is oriented by customers, whose needs are increasingly changing according to the trend of higher and more diversity. Therefore, quality also requires innovation through continuous, non-stop improvement.

Innovation is a method for projects to improve the quality level to increase competitiveness. Improvement can be the improvement of equipment, technology, management methods or it can be the improvement of resources and structures in the organization. However, improvement also needs to be thorough, small steps or leaps, and stick to the organization’s operational goals.

• Principle 7: Fact-based decision making

Every action in the quality management process, if it is to be effectively implemented, must be developed and analyzed in a policy manner, not decisions based on inference. And the evaluation process is often based on the organization’s strategy, processes, inputs, and outputs,…

• Principle 8: Win-win cooperation with suppliers

Partnerships with projects are reciprocal, mutually beneficial, and create value to enhance capacity.

Through a network of internal and external relationships of the organization such as customers, suppliers, training organizations, regulatory agencies, competitors,… Based on those relationships, the organization can identify the development strategy to help penetrate the market. However, the related parties need to pay attention to the cooperation relationship by exchanging as well as the relationship principles in each object group.

Quality management jobs description

This will help employees in the project, as well as candidates, understand their roles, responsibilities for the quality management position to perform well the assigned tasks, describe the management job. Specific and clear quality is absolutely essential. The following are some typical job descriptions of quality management positions in the project.

Job Description Quality Manager

• Manage and promote the operations of the quality management department; ensure the quality, function, and operation of the project.
• Manage quality assurance manuals; propose programs & policies on quality assurance.
• Ensure facilities and operations are in compliance with quality management guidelines and internal standards.
• Regular audits of the quality management system.
• Guide QA staff to perform daily tasks and QA tool management.
• Ensure finished products meet customer requirements and project quality standards.
• Handling abnormal reports on product quality; make plans and countermeasures to improve, prevent recurrence of errors.
• Responsible for handling customer feedback reports on product quality.
• Making general reports on quality, quality conditions and reporting directly to the company’s board of directors.

Job Description of Quality Employees

• Understand the production technology process, product characteristics.
• Carry out quality inspection of all stages according to the production process and the company’s regulations; products are 100% controlled at all stages.
• Participating in testing, handling, and evaluating product quality; building production processes, testing procedures; inspect and supervise research, testing, and production processes.
• Check the quality of input materials; inspect and supervise product quality in assigned stages according to prescribed inspection standards;
• Quality inspection of finished and semi-finished products; classify and detect defective products and semi-finished products and request workers to handle and repair them; request to stop production when detecting violations.
• Check quality, GMP, safety on the production line.
• Maintain quality system, plan periodic inspection; keep records of inspection items; prepare reports of nonconformities occurring during the inspection.
• Guide the application and urge the units to implement the newly issued quality documents (processes, regulations, forms, etc.).
• Proficient in using measuring instruments, reading, and analyzing measurement results.

Requirements for the position of quality manager

Each project will set different criteria to select personnel for the quality management position depending on the field of production and business activities and specific job requirements. However, to apply for a quality manager position, here are some typical criteria:

• Graduated from university with a major related to the field of production and business of projects. Preference will be given to candidates with QC/QA certification.
• Experience working in a similar position.
• Understanding of quality standards and quality management and monitoring processes.
• Effectively exploit data analysis and statistical analysis tools.
• Experienced in quality inspection and testing
• Experience in implementing corrective action programs.
• Proficient in using MS Office software, QC/QA software, and databases.
• Strong communication, analytical, time management, executive, and problem-solving skills.
• Able to work independently under high pressure.
• Friendly, harmonious, careful, responsible at work.
• Gender, age according to the regulations of the project.

Several quality management methods

• Quality check method

This method was formed a long time ago and mainly focuses on the last stage. Based on technical requirements, designed standards, or contract conventions, the quality control department conducts checks to prevent products from spoiling and classifies products according to different levels of quality. Therefore, when it comes to improving quality, it is believed that it is only necessary to improve technical standards by increasing inspection work.

However, with this method, it is not possible to exploit the creative potential of each individual in the unit to improve and improve quality.  

The comprehensive quality control method

The term total quality control was coined by Feigenbaum in the 1951 publication of his book Total Quality Control (TQC). In its third edition in 1983, he defined TQC as follows: Quality control holistic approach is an effective system for unifying the development and quality improvement efforts of different groups into an organization so that marketing, engineering, and service activities can be carried out in the most economical way, completely satisfy the customer.

Total quality control mobilizes the efforts of every unit in the company into processes related to quality maintenance and improvement. This will help maximize savings in production and service, and at the same time satisfy customer needs.

Thus, there is a difference between inspection and quality control. Inspection is the comparison and contrast between the actual quality of the product and the technical requirements, thereby eliminating the waste products. Control is a broader, more comprehensive activity. It includes all marketing activities, production, comparison, quality assessment, and after-sales service, causes finding and remedial measures.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

In recent years, the introduction of many new management techniques, contributing to improving quality management activities, such as the “Just in time” system has been the basis for management theory. total quality TQM.

TQM’s goal is to improve quality and satisfy customers to the best extent possible. The distinguishing feature of TQM over previous quality management methods is that it provides a comprehensive system for managing and improving all aspects related to quality and involving every department and every individual to achieve the set quality goals.

The TQM method has several basic characteristics:

• Objective: Consider quality first, always customer-oriented.
• Scale: TQM must be combined with JIT, which means it has to expand the control area.
• The basis of the TQM system: Starting from people (In the three main blocks of production and business are machinery and equipment, technology methods, information, and personnel). This means that it is necessary to have the cooperation of everyone in the project from leadership to members throughout the process from research – implementation – design – preparation – production – management – service. 

Implementation technique of Deming quality improvement circle: PDCA.

• Plan: Identify methods for achieving goals. In quality management, tools such as cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto diagrams are often used to find the causes, analyze and propose appropriate measures.
• Do (Perform the work): Pay attention to the principle of voluntariness and creativity of each member. Implement appropriate governance actions.
• Check: The goal is to detect deviations and make timely adjustments during the implementation process. In the work of quality management, the inspection is carried out using statistical methods. Train and train staff (trust people and don’t need to over-check).
• Act: Correct deviations on a preventive basis (analyze, detect, eliminate causes and take measures to prevent recurrence).

The Deming circle is a quality management tool that helps projects constantly improve, perfect and improve efficiency. Each function of the Deming PDCA circle has its own goals, but they interact with each other and move in the direction of the perception that quality must be taken care of first. 

The process of quality management

Quality planning

To manage quality, it is necessary to build all standard processes, if only a part according to standards, it is only called a quality management approach.

Quality control

It is a part of quality management that focuses on fulfilling quality requirements. Quality control is the control of the processes that create products and services through the control of factors such as people, machines, materials, methods, information, and the working environment.

Raw materials are the main input factors, which have a major influence on quality. Equipment and technology factors are factors of special importance affecting the formation of quality. The human factor here includes all human resources in an organization from the top management to the employees who are involved in the quality process.

When assessing the quality, customers can trust the products and services many times. The high frequency of repeated use shows that the quality meets the needs of customers. In addition, it is also possible to rely on specialized centers and organizations that operate independently of manufacturers or service providers. Don’t judge quality based on subjective, one-sided, or majority opinions.

Quality control includes the following:

• Human resources control
• Process control
• Device control
• Environment control

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a proactive process for defect prevention. It recognizes flaws in processes. Quality assurance activities include planning, regular and independent audits to verify that activities are performing consistently according to defined principles. This is to provide confidence to the stakeholders that the project will meet the stated requirements and standards.

The four overall goals to consider include:

• Provide assurance that the project is proceeding as planned, the project process has been agreed
• Measure the effectiveness of the agreed plan and process
• Learn lessons and improve
• Identify non-compliance items and opportunities for improvement

Quality improvement

In a production process, the cost of waste often accounts for a significant amount of the cost of production. Quality improvement plays an important role in reducing waste.

Quality problems include two types:

• Acute quality problem: An acute quality problem is a rare problem. It changes the current state of the system, a solution is needed to restore the status quo.
• Chronic Quality Issues: Chronic quality problems are frequent problems. There should be solutions to change the status quo, to make the system better.

Distinguishing quality problems is important because each type of problem has a different method and method of problem-solving. Acute quality problems are solved by quality control tools. Chronic quality problems are solved by quality improvement tools. It is a dangerous fact that acute problems are often prioritized to be solved continuously while neglecting chronic problems is a huge waste of problems. Organizations often lack mechanisms to identify and eliminate waste or lack quality improvement.

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Core components of the quality management process

Quality goals

The setting of quality objectives is a common requirement of standards in quality management systems. The objectives are designed to encourage projects to define the strategic goals and objectives of the product quality management process.

Documented objectives give purpose to a customer-centric quality management system in every project. Quality objectives must provide a clear vision for all members of the organization to understand the purpose and value of the quality management system.

Organizational structure and responsibilities

The product quality management system should include a clear and up-to-date model of the structure of the project and the responsibilities of all individuals in the organization. Structure and accountability documentation includes visual guidelines such as clear diagrams and documentation.

Data Management

Data is the core of the approach to total quality management. The quality and availability of data are critical to the success of the product quality management process principle. This is to promote continuous improvement activities and quality control prevention.

A project must be able to provide useful data on effective quality control measures. The data management system should support and strive for constant improvement of remediation activities, by identifying data within the project and data sources collected from third parties.

Guaranteed equipment

The control and calibration of the instruments used to measure quality are integral to the success of a quality management system. Machines and equipment used to verify products or processes must be strictly controlled and calibrated to industry standards. Depending on the equipment, periodic calibration is required for each of these machines prior to each measurement session.

Quality management is both an opportunity and a challenge. Quality improvement is activity throughout the organization to improve efficiency, performance, create additional benefits for the organization and customers. Quality improvement is a constant effort to maintain and improve quality with the principle that the following project must be better than the previous one.

The above article has provided you with beneficial information about quality management as well as its importance and how to build up an effective quality managing process. We all hope that this information will help you have a better start to your manager career.

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