what is a quality management system?

Defined as a formalised system that documents procedures, processes and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives, a quality management system (QMS) helps coordinate and lead an organisation’s behaviour to keep in line with customer and regulatory requirements. Improving its efficiency and effectiveness on a continual basis.

The most prominent approach to quality management systems is ISO 9001:2015, the international standard which specifies requirements for a QMS. Often, many people use the term ‘QMS’ to describe the ISO 9001 standard or the group of documents that make up the QMS, however, it actually refers to the system as a whole. The documents only serve to describe the system.

Organisations choose to implement quality management systems for a range of purposes; such as:

  • Reducing costs
  • Improving systems and processes
  • Decreasing waste
  • Engaging employees
  • Enabling and identifying training opportunities
  • Creating organisation-wide goals

Elements of a Quality Management System

Each element of QMS helps to achieve the overall goals of reaching the requirements set by the organisation and its customers. Despite quality management systems needing to address an organisation’s individual needs, each one should consist of the following:

  • Organisations quality policy and objectives
  • Quality manual
  • Data management
  • Internal processes
  • Procedures, instructions and records
  • Improvement opportunities
  • Quality analysis
  • Customer satisfaction

For professional advice on quality management systems and guidance through the ISO certification process, call NPT Management Systems today on 02380 659 867 or contact us via our online enquiry form.

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ISO 9001 Certification in 2018

A new year is upon us once again, and business owners the world over will be spending the first few weeks of January planning out ways to maximise their success in 2018.

If you're looking to ensure that this year is your organisation's most prosperous yet, we strongly recommend that you implement an effective quality management system (QMS) and pursue ISO 9001 certification. Here are three reasons to do it:

1. Improved Trust

Consumers are always eager to see evidence of a supplier's quality and reliability. Achieving ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that your company is dedicated to continuous improvement and to providing the very highest level of customer service. This is likely to result in a higher number of leads and enquiries for your business.

2. More Opportunities

Certain organisations and sectors exclusively offer business to ISO-certified organisations. Depending on the type of work you do and the sort of clients/customers you're looking to attract, ISO 9001 certification may open any number of new doors for you.

3. Increased Efficiency

Gaining ISO certification won't just attract new business - it will also ensure that you're able to handle your current workload more efficiently. An ISO-compliant QMS will reduce wastage within your organisation and enable all departments to work more effectively.

If you would like to achieve ISO 9001 certification in 2018, please contact NPT Management Systems for expert advice that's tailored to your requirements.

Image courtesy of pexels.com

Imperial Car Supermarkets Logo

We'd like to extend a hearty congratulations to our clients Imperial Car Supermarkets, who attended the 2017 Used Car Awards last week and went home with the very prestigious 'Used Car Supermarket of the Year' award.

This video (posted on the Imperial Cars Facebook page) shows the moment the company discovered they had won:

Our work with Imperial Car Supermarkets

Back in early 2016, NPT Management Systems helped Imperial Car Supermarkets to develop and implement an effective quality management system (QMS) and achieve ISO 9001 certification via a UKAS-accredited certification body. A year later, we helped them to pass their first surveillance audit. We are now helping the company to transition to ISO 9001:2015, the latest version of the standard.

It's been a real thrill to see Imperial Cars go from one achievement to another this year, and we're very pleased to have contributed to their success. Congratulations again to Imperial Car Supermarkets on this well-deserved recognition of their outstanding customer service - we hope your 2018 is every bit as good as your 2017 has been!

If you need assistance implementing a quality management system and achieving ISO 9001 certification, please contact NPT Management Systems today. Our quality management experts will be more than happy to discuss your requirements.

Engineering

We at NPT Management Systems have helped businesses in all sorts of different industries to implement highly compliant quality management systems and achieve ISO 9001 certification. One such industry is the engineering sector - engineering firms from all over the South of England have come to us for assistance with their QMS requirements.

Putting an effective quality management system into place and gaining ISO 9001 accreditation is a step that many engineering companies feel it necessary to take. ISO 9001 certification is a requirement for many contracts, and the benefits of a QMS (e.g. reduced wastage, improved efficiency and customer satisfaction) can be enormous.

If you need help implementing a quality management system within your organisation, please contact NPT Management Systems now to discuss your requirements.

Case Study: GT Tooling

GT Tooling

Based in Fareham, near Portsmouth, GT Tooling are a precision mechanical engineering firm who specialise in designing and manufacturing injection mould tools. They contacted NPT Management Systems some time ago because they needed to achieve ISO 9001 certification - here's what Managing Director Greg Simmonds had to say about working with us:

"We initial used NPT Management Systems to help us implement a quality management system and achieve ISO 9001 registration. We now continue to use them to help maintain our QMS. We would recommend NPT to any company looking for a professional quality consultant!"

View more testimonials // Visit GT Tooling website

The 2017 Auto Trader Click Awards took place in London at the end of last month, and we were very pleased to hear that our clients Imperial Car Supermarkets had walked away from the ceremony with not one but TWO trophies to show for it.

Imperial Car Supermarkets at the Auto Trader Click Awards 2017

The Click Awards are held once a year, and they recognise digital excellence within the motor retail industry. ICS scooped the following titles, bringing their grand total to 5 awards in just 3 years:

  • Data Driven Retailer of the Year (Franchise & Supermarkets)
  • Digital Retailer of the Year (Supermarkets)

As we've mentioned previously here on the NPT blog, Imperial Car Supermarkets are among the many companies whom we have assisted with the planning and implementation of quality management systems. ICS achieved ISO 9001 certification in early 2016, and passed their first surveillance audit early this year with zero non-conformances raised.

Our contribution to Imperial's success was recognised by the company's Operations Director Neil Smith in a note on his LinkedIn profile (posted shortly after the award ceremony): 

Neil Smith on LinkedIn

We'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Imperial Car Supermarkets on their double win and wish them every success going forward.

If you need assistance with your quality management system, get in touch with the ISO 9001 experts here at NPT Management Systems today.