Business owners and managers all agree that quality is an important part of a successful business. Whether your Quality Management System (QMS) conforms to a recognized international standard such as ISO 9001, or whether you have developed and implemented your own program, every successful business needs an effective QMS. By investing in a quality program you can avoid the expense associated with product recalls or missed sales from customers lost as a result of quality system failures. More importantly you have better control over the day to day operations that define your business.

In a small business it is often impractical to budget for a full time quality department. A common solution is to double or triple “hat” your existing staff and add “quality” to their assigned responsibilities. Your staffs are already stretched thin though, so the effectiveness of your quality program can be compromised despite the fact that everyone is putting in extra hours to keep up with the needs of the business.

Sometimes outsourcing the responsibility for your Quality Management System makes good sense. It allows you to focus on your core competencies, while still deriving all the benefits from an in-house quality department. The tasks are performed by a subject matter expert, and there is the proper organizational separation of the quality function. Another benefit is that you can adjust the level of involvement from basic conformance with quality standards to full integration of the quality management system with every aspect of your business. For more information or to find out how a quality management system or outsourcing your quality function can help your business, please contact us at 505/508-5161.

Treeline Consulting, LLC

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