So if I look at the definition of Quality Management System in ISO 9000. The definition of Quality Management 2
system is that this is a part of Management System with regards to Quality. 3
So it's very general definition here. 4
So let's try to understand what Quality Management System is. 5
So Quality Management System is a formalized system that documents the structure, responsibilities and 6
procedures required to achieve effective quality management. 7
If you remember earlier in QA also we talked about processes. 8
This is what. 9
QAM is QMS 10
make sure that we have documented processes for whatever work we are doing. 11
We have processes, we are structures, we have responsibilities, all these things become part of the 12
Quality Management System. 13
In a typical organization if you look at the Quality Management System. This forms a sort of pyramid, 14
at the top of pyramid is the Quality Policy, Quality Policy gives the overall direction in regards to 15
quality. 16
Then the next layer in this hierarchy is the Quality Manual, Quality Manual gives the high level overview 17
of all the processes being followed in the organization. Next layer comes the Procedures, Procedures give 18
detail related to who is doing what, 19
where are all those details are available in Procedures. 20
Then the next layer in this hierarchy would be Work Instructions. 21
Work Instructions are basically more details when it comes to procedure more details are provided in 22
Work Instructions those even go to minute details. 23
And tell how each of these activities is being performed. 24
And at the bottom of this hierarchy is records. 25
Records are basically the evidences which tell that these processes have been performed as these were 26
planned. 27
So if you look at any organization typically they will have this sort of hierarchy. 28
They might have a different name of these. 29
Some organizations may have the term quality manual. 30
Some might not have that. 31
And there have been some changes in this structure earlier prior to ISO 9001 2015. 32
The latest version of ISO 9001 was issued in 2015. 33
Prior to that there was a requirement to have a quality manual. 34
So all the organizations which are certified to ISO 9001 standard were required to have 35
a quality manual. 36
But after 2015 addition that requirement has been taken out. 37
So some organizations still might have a quality manual, some organization might have this quality 38
manual in some other form. 39
But this is something which tells that at the top level how things work in organization. 40
So this basically is the typical structure of Quality Management System in an organization. 41
So in this section we have talked about Quality Control. 42
We have talked about Quality Assurance. 43
We looked at the difference between QC and QA. 44
And we understood what Quality Management System is. Together these things help us in achieving 45
quality in our organization. 46
Now so far we have learned about what is Quality, we learned about the Dimensions related to Quality 47
the eight Dimensions given by Garwin and we understood some key terms related to quality. 48
QA QC and QMS these were something which were required to implement quality. 49
Before we go any farther in this course why dont we just go back and look at the history of quality. 50
I am not going into the details of that. 51
But I just want to give you a glimpse of how things have moved till today in regards 52
to quality how things changed, how new concepts were developed. 53
Lets have a quick look at the history of quality before we go any further.