How do you establish and define your quality control processes? Take a look at our guide as you guarantee the appropriate standard of quality on every product and service you deliver.
Quality control and quality assurance are often used interchangeably, but in fact, the two terms are different. Quality control actually sits within the broader quality assurance framework. So, quality assurance instills confidence among internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating how version control and quality standardization are achieved across the whole process – from raw materials through to the finished product.
Within this, quality control refers to inspection and assessment. Essentially, quality control involves checking that the quality assurance approaches are delivering the results expected of them.
Take a look at how to establish quality control processes, step by step.
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Developing a set of quality control processes is not quite as simple as just implementing a quality management system and leaving it at that. You will need to know what quality standards you are aiming for.
Consider your products and services. Ask yourself what customers expect from these products and services, and how these expectations can be met and even exceeded. Look at your competitors’ products and think about how you can compete with and improve upon these offerings.
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While you need to implement quality control across all aspects of your products and services, you’ll still need to narrow this down to several key areas of focus. This is where you will need to consider your most important products and services, and the most valuable aspects of these products and services, as you decide on the key priorities for your customers and for your business.
Again, this is not a case of ignoring quality control in some areas in order to focus on others. Instead, it’s about knowing what to look for, defining your priorities, and making sure these quality standards are appropriately met.
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With your quality standards defined, you’ll need to implement operating protocols that will ensure these standards are executed and adopted in the right way. This will necessitate transparent communication and engagement across your organization, bringing team members from all departments together.
These team members will need to be aware of what is required of them as they execute these quality control processes, as well as any document creation tasks that are required of them. This will help to ensure that the final product or service is of the utmost quality.
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Testing your processes is of course important, giving you the information you need to hone and improve upon them in the future. Assign an internal team who can conduct testing and analysis so that you know your quality standards are fit for purpose.
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Analysis can provide you with a wealth of data that you will use as you assess the efficacy of your quality control process. However, you will need to gain further insight to confirm that your protocols are working as they should be.
Speak to other stakeholders further down the supply chain – how do your protocols impact their own business models and operations? Reach out to your customers and clients too – are they experiencing an uptick in quality? Are there any concerns that need to be addressed?
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Quality standards are only viable if they are evolving and developing over time. Take your internal and stakeholder feedback and build on this, utilizing these sources of insight as you hone and develop your processes over time.
Remember that your business is designed to scale, not simply to remain static. This means you will need quality control protocols that meet the needs of your customers as your product and service range develops. In this sense, data gathering and quality control process development need to be ongoing – keep on gathering information over the course of your operations, and keep on honing your quality assurance processes.
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You will need to document the control procedure, creating standards and resources you can use for training, assessment, and other purposes. This means deploying a document management system to create a document control system that is effective. The system can be integrated with other areas of your business, generating automated documents from reports and defining a set of standard operating procedures for document review and approval processes.
Over many years spent in the automation and process control fields, we’ve encountered plenty of examples of quality control gone wrong. Often, these missed opportunities are caused by the same common mistakes.
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One of the mistakes businesses often make as they set their quality control process is relying too heavily on key personnel. While your current team members may be able to oversee the control process effectively, what happens if they leave your organization? Document everything, leaving a reliable set of resources that can be used for future training.
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Your processes are evolving, which means your quality control documents need to be reviewed and approved to ensure they are fit for purpose. Obsolete documents then need to be disposed of, and replaced with improved protocols for quality control. Failing to do this can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
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All of your personnel must be engaged with the importance of quality control. This is achieved through transparent communication and discussions regarding quality assessment processes. If some of your personnel are working according to your control process but others are not, the whole system will fail.
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Defining your quality control standards and identifying the key priorities are the first steps you take as you build your quality control process. Getting these standards wrong essentially means falling at the first hurdle.
The obvious benefit of quality control is that your products and services achieve greater standardization. Your customers can rely on the quality you provide, and this will become part of your reputation, and even your identity. But what about other benefits, those that may be less immediately apparent?
Maintaining quality control in any business is essential to success, but it can be difficult to achieve the level of perfection and customer service that consumers expect. That’s where we come in. At Process Equipment & Controls, we specialize in helping our clients develop and implement customer-focused quality assurance protocols that meet the highest standards.
So if you’re looking for help ensuring that your products are of the highest possible quality, reach out to us today and schedule a consultation. We’re confident that we can help you take your business to the next level.