QMS and ERP alignment

Does your ISO 9001:2000 based Quality Management System (QMS) align with your ERP?

As businesses head into the 21st Century and continue to rely on software or web-based applications to run their operations, it is imperative to note that focusing on the use of software is merely the beginning of process and operational control.

If you are using an ERP to run your business and have a QMS implemented to drive continual improvement and prevent mistakes, ask yourself if the two systems are aligned. If not, is one subverting the other?

How to do a quick analysis:
Take a few key processes that are in both your applicable QMS (ISO 9001:2000, ISO/TS 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485) and your ERP and use the process flow from your QMS to perform a process audit on the steps that apply to your ERP.

Some processes that might apply to both systems could be:

Document Control
Records Control
Internal Auditing
Control of Non-Conforming Product
Corrective Action
Preventive Action (very few we’ve seen have a section for this in their ERP)
Training or Training Records Tracking
Contract Review/Sales
Quality Planning (Product/Process)
Billing
Customer Feedback
Purchasing
Inspection (receiving & final)
Preventive Maintenance
Control of Monitoring and Measuring Equipment
Management Review (very few we’ve seen have a section for this in their ERP)
Continual Improvement (very few we’ve seen have a section for this in their ERP)

If you notice after this quick analysis that you aren’t aligned with one or both systems, IQC can help. IQC has experience in QMS and ERP alignment and integration. We have worked with a large number of ERP’s, some of which include:

Plexus-Online (The best we’ve seen yet! Finally a robust web-based application. Bloggers choice! Email seth@4iqc.com for Plexus-Online info and tips about buying their ERP system)
Shoptech’s E2 System
JobBoss (and other Exact products)
Made2Manage’s Enterprise Business System
J.D. Edwards (Oracle)
SAP and mySAP
Oracle e-Business Suite
SAGE
Microsoft Dynamics
QuickBooks (to some extent as an ERP for small businesses)
SSA Global (MANMAN and others)
SYSPRO
and many more…

For more information or to schedule a meeting to discuss an assessment, please contact Seth Hummel at 937-223-9000 x701 or seth@4iqc.com

ISO 10014:2006

ISO 10014:2006

Are you aware of the new ISO 10014:2006, Quality Management - Guidelines for Realizing Financial and Economic Benefits? It provides guidelines for achieving financial and economic benefits from the application of the ISO 9000 quality management principles:

1. customer focus
2. leadership
3. involvement of people
4. process approach
5. system approach to management
6. continual improvement
7. factual approach to decision making
8. mutually beneficial supplier relationships

Economic benefit is generally attained through effective management of resources and implementation of processes for improving the overall worth of an organization. Financial benefit is the result of organizational improvement expressed in monetary form and realized by cost-effective management practices.

ISO 10014:2006 is directed to top management of an organization and complements ISO 9004 for performance improvements. It provides examples of achievable benefits and identifies management methods and tools that are available to help gain those benefits.

Annex A includes a self-assessment as a gap analysis and prioritization tool. The questionnaire describes five maturity levels for assessing your current management system and determining which principle should be selected for improvement.

A specific improvement cycle is displayed for each quality management principle that lists activities for each Plan-Do-Check-Act stage. Achievable benefits are identified as outputs for each principle.

Please note that ISO 10014:2006 consists of guidelines and recommendations, and is not intended for certification, regulatory, or contractual use.
IQC is developing an on-line version of the assessment and will keep you informed.