Transformation and Choices in Enterprise Digital Quality Management
The current situation and dilemmas of the digital transformation of enterprise quality management
In today's highly competitive business environment, enterprises are facing tremendous pressure from various aspects, including external competition, customer demands, and internal management. To enhance their competitiveness and operational efficiency, many companies have embarked on the journey of electronic and digital transformation. As a crucial part of enterprise operations, quality management is also constantly evolving in this transformation.
Some companies use electronic screens to replace traditional paper-based Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), scan paper inspection records into computers for storage, or directly enter them into Excel spreadsheets. Meanwhile, many enterprises have also introduced systems such as Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Office Automation (OA), and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), and some even develop their own programs to record and store quality data. However, most of these measures only address the issues of data registration and storage methods. Due to the limitations in system design and the lack of process-based management, enterprises find it difficult to conduct effective analysis of quality data and cannot achieve efficient control of the quality management process.
Exploration and Decision-making in the Construction of Enterprise Digital Quality Management
Faced with the above dilemmas, more and more companies are eager to make changes and actively promote digital quality management construction projects. However, there are significant differences in the problems faced and the approaches that can be taken among enterprises in different industries and of different scales.
When selecting a digital quality management solution, enterprises are faced with numerous options. They can develop the system in - house to meet specific requirements, or purchase it externally. The external purchase methods can be further divided into customized development, buying standard products, self - building using a low - code platform, or having it built by a third - party, etc. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it's not possible to simply judge which one is better. The key lies in whether it suits the actual situation of the enterprise. For detailed relevant analysis, you can refer to articles such as "Opinions - Quality Management System (QMS) - 4. How Should Enterprises Choose Quality Management Software?" and "Quality Management System (QMS) - 6. Develop In - house, Outsource or Buy a Product?".
The Digital Quality Management Journey of Small and Medium-sized Manufacturing Enterprises
Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises have different characteristics from large enterprises and problems that need to be solved urgently. This determines that they need to adopt unique approaches in the construction of digital quality management. These characteristics also make it easier for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises to succeed in digital quality management projects and achieve the expected results. For a detailed analysis, please refer to *QMS Talks about Quality - 8 Things That Will Subvert Your Perception: Digital Transformation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Is More Likely to Succeed*.
Features and applicable scenarios of low-code platforms
The low-code platform has the functions of quickly building forms and customizing, modifying or adding fields, and can realize online entry of inspection data, simple report analysis, and real-time data viewing. However, it cannot implement complex business logic, process management, and in-depth multi-dimensional quality data analysis. If an enterprise only hopes to use it to replace Excel for simple data processing, then the low-code platform is a viable option.
Advantages and Limitations of Professional Quality Management Software Products
Professional quality management software products can achieve rapid data entry, multi - dimensional quality data analysis, and online management of the entire quality process, which facilitates task tracking and coordination among departments. Such products can be quickly launched, with high system stability and a relatively high project success rate. However, compared with low - code platforms, their custom modification functions are relatively limited.
QMS: Digital Quality Management Solution for Growing Enterprises
Functional modules of the QMS systemQMS Quality Management System QMS
QMS is a digital quality management solution specifically tailored to the needs of growth - oriented enterprises, covering quality management functions across the entire supply chain and the full product lifecycle. It consists of multiple modules such as incoming inspection, process inspection, final inspection, shipping inspection, non - conforming product management, customer complaints, corrective and preventive actions, periodic inspection, review management, measuring instrument management, quality traceability, quality cost, and project management. Each sub - module can be used independently, and it also enables linkage between modules. Moreover, it can be integrated with third - party systems (such as ERP, MES, OA, etc.) to achieve online operations throughout the entire quality management process.
Convenient operation and efficient management of the QMS system
Through the QMS APP, on - site inspectors can quickly enter inspection data, improving the accuracy of data entry and the speed of on - site inspections. The system can also automatically assign inspection tasks as required, track the implementation of inspections in real - time, and support processes such as batch - combined inspections, skip inspections, and review of non - conforming product handling.
Flexible configuration and wide applicability of the QMS system
Through function configuration and system configuration, the QMS system adopts a non - solidified and field - information customizable approach, which can meet the diverse needs of different industries, different enterprises, different production processes, different development stages of enterprises, and different users. Through rapid configuration, the system can quickly generate quality statistical analysis reports, such as weekly and monthly reports, including PPM, pass rates, Pareto charts, pie charts, trend charts, bar charts and other commonly used in meetings.In addition, the system supports both cloud deployment and local deployment, which can meet the group - management requirements of multi - factories/multi - bases. It can realize on - site, paperless and real - time enterprise quality inspection, as well as online, process - based and transparent quality management.
Architecture, Deployment and Installation of the QMS System
System Architecture and Multilingual Support
The QMS (Quality Management System) adopts a Docker multi - tenant design and can be deployed in public clouds, private clouds, and on - premise environments, enabling rapid system deployment and quick project launch. By default, the system supports both English and Chinese. Users can also customize the names of all fields to meet the language display requirements of different countries and regions as well as for shipping print reports.The system integrates processes such as suppliers, incoming inspection, in - process inspection, shipping inspection, customer complaints, corrective and preventive actions, and approvals. Customers can directly send rectification instructions to suppliers through the system. Suppliers can fill in corrective and preventive measures online. Customers can monitor the rectification progress in real - time. Online communication and coordination can also be achieved among internal departments. This realizes full - process online quality management and collaboration in the supply chain, as well as real - time display of quality data.
Selection of deployment methods
The QMS supports on-premises deployment, public cloud deployment, and private cloud deployment. It is recommended that enterprises choose public cloud deployment. This way, they can avoid the hassle and costs associated with hiring their own personnel, purchasing servers, and performing daily maintenance and backups. Moreover, they can enjoy the subsequent iterative upgrade services of the product for free. The public cloud excels in data security and backup, with a lower overall cost and higher cost - effectiveness. Of course, enterprises that have their own servers and IT personnel or have special data requirements can also opt for on - premises deployment.
The convenience of the installation method
The QMS doesn't require installation. When there is an internet connection, users can log in and use it by opening a common browser (such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) on their personal computers, tablets or smartphones. Mobile devices based on the Android system can also install the APP to input and review inspection data. Currently, there are two versions (Chinese and English) on the PC side of the system, and users can freely change the system language according to their needs.
Import Module and Function Implementation of the QMS System
There are significant differences among different enterprises in terms of quality management. Generally, it involves typical processes such as incoming materials inspection, in - process inspection, outgoing goods inspection, non - conforming product handling, customer complaints handling, and corrective and preventive actions. The system modules can be introduced in the following order: incoming materials inspection, outgoing goods inspection, non - conforming product handling, in - process inspection, corrective and preventive actions, and customer complaints handling to achieve the following functions:
1. **Unified management of basic data**: Unifiedly maintain and manage basic data such as inspection requirements, defect codes and names. This can prevent the loss or ambiguity of inspection requirements due to staff turnover or leave, which could otherwise affect the product inspection and warehousing process.
2. **Automatic Assignment of Inspection Tasks**: Set rules in the system to randomly assign inspection tasks or assign them according to specific materials, suppliers, production lines, etc. View the inspection progress and implementation status in real - time.
3. **Inspection task escalation management**: When the inspector fails to complete the inspection task on time, the system can issue notifications, escalate the task, or automatically re - assign the task to ensure the timely handling of materials.
4. **Efficient on - site data entry**: Inspectors use the APP to enter inspection data on - site, reducing the number of data transcription and sample movements, and uploading inspection photos or videos in real - time.
5. **Strategies for Improving Inspection Efficiency**- Support batch inspection, which means combining multiple batches of the same material for inspection.- Set skip - inspection rules. Conduct skip inspections based on time, quantity, and batches to allocate inspection resources reasonably.- Carry out first - piece inspections and patrol inspections on the production line. Arrange the work of inspectors by setting up patrol inspection plans.
6. **Handling and Tracking of Non-conforming Products**: Automatically register non-conforming products and conduct online handling and review. Set default automatic handling for certain non-conforming products to improve work efficiency. Track the handling progress of non-conforming products, and issue notifications, escalate issues, and reassign tasks when the work is not completed on time.
7. **Customer Complaint Management**: Register customer complaints online, assign responsible persons, and track the handling progress. Initiate corrective and preventive actions directly based on non - conforming products or customer complaints, assign tasks, and track the handling progress.
Report analysis and large-screen display
Based on the data entered into the QMS system, enterprises can retrieve real - time quality statistical analysis charts, such as Pp and Ppk lists, PPM, pass rates, defect Pareto charts, and comparisons of suppliers' quality performance. Additionally, they can generate quality management reports, including the timely inspection rate and the inspection completion rate, which provide strong support for the enterprise's quality management decision - making.
System docking
In today's digital quality management field, QMS (Quality Management System) demonstrates strong compatibility and scalability. It can seamlessly integrate with numerous quality - related systems, and this characteristic plays a crucial role in improving work efficiency and promoting process standardization. Common systems that can be integrated with QMS include ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MES (Manufacturing Execution System), PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), and OA (Office Automation).
Through these integrations, multiple key operations can be achieved. The integration of inspection processes enables seamless connectivity of inspection workflows between different systems, avoiding redundant operations and data inconsistencies. The integration of master data ensures the uniformity and accuracy of basic data across various systems, providing a reliable basis for subsequent analysis and decision-making. The integration of approval tasks facilitates the smooth flow of approval processes between different systems, thereby enhancing approval efficiency. The integration of message notifications can promptly convey important information to relevant personnel, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of work.
Taking the integration between ERP and QMS as an example, this is a typical and practical integration model. When incoming goods receiving personnel, final inspection and warehousing personnel, or finished product outbound shipping personnel trigger an inspection application in the ERP system, the ERP will promptly push detailed inspection information to the QMS. After receiving the information, the QMS will automatically generate inspection tasks and reasonably assign these tasks to the relevant personnel. During the inspection process, the system can automatically judge the inspection results. Once non - conforming products are found, it will immediately and automatically register relevant information and generate non - conforming product records. In the QMS system, relevant personnel can directly handle non - conforming products. The handling methods will go through a strict approval process, and if necessary, corrective and preventive actions can be directly initiated. In this way, a complete quality management closed - loop is formed, ensuring that quality problems can be resolved in a timely and effective manner.
Import cycle
The implementation cycle of the system is comprehensively influenced by various factors. The company size is an important factor. Due to the complex business, numerous departments, and large volume of data in large - scale companies, the time required for system launch is often longer. The employees' mastery of quality management is also crucial. If employees have an in - depth understanding of the concepts and methods of quality management, they can adapt to the operation of the new system more quickly during the system implementation process, thereby accelerating the system launch.
The allocation of personnel time during the project implementation process should not be overlooked either. If employees can fully commit to the system implementation project and complete various tasks in a timely manner, the system launch time can be effectively controlled. The completeness of basic data is also one of the key factors affecting the launch speed. If a company has comprehensive and accurate basic data, a great deal of work on data collation and entry can be reduced during the system implementation process, significantly shortening the launch time.
In addition, the direct involvement of company owners or senior management has a direct impact on the system's launch speed and final effectiveness. The support and participation of senior management can provide sufficient resources and strong impetus for the project, ensuring its smooth progress. In most cases, with reasonable planning and arrangements, the QMS system can be launched and put into use within 2 - 3 months.
Import steps
During the system import process, the collation of master data is a crucial and time - consuming task, especially when the basic data is not well - established or there is significant room for optimization. This work requires a great deal of effort and time because master data is the foundation for the system to operate. Its accuracy and integrity directly affect the normal operation of the system and subsequent data analysis.
During the system import process, continuous improvement and processing of these materials can be carried out synchronously. By sorting out and optimizing the master data, problems and deficiencies in the company's quality management process can be identified, and timely adjustments and improvements can be made.
To help employees better adapt to the system's operation and the new quality management method, it is recommended to adopt a step - by - step and module - by - module approach for system implementation. This way, employees can gradually get familiar with the system's functions and operation processes, and reduce the pressure and resistance caused by the sudden introduction of the new system. At the same time, the step - by - step implementation also makes it easier to identify and solve problems in a timely manner, ensuring the smooth operation of the system.
Expected effect
The implementation of the QMS system is not simply about achieving a result but rather a continuous optimization process. During the system implementation, by analyzing various data and processes, the company can identify problems in quality management and promptly optimize them.
Subsequently, through the application of the system, in - depth optimization can be carried out from two dimensions: quality level and quality management process. One of the important goals of the QMS system is to establish a unified quality management platform. On this platform, basic information related to quality, quality data, quality management processes, and quality reports can all be managed in real - time online. Cross - departmental collaboration also becomes more efficient. Different departments can share information in real - time and jointly solve quality problems.
Management can use this platform to keep track of the implementation and progress of quality inspection and management activities in real - time. Once problems are detected, they can intervene promptly. Through continuous optimization and improvement, efficient quality management can be gradually achieved, thereby enhancing the overall competitiveness of the company.