As technology evolves, more companies are looking for easier ways to manage their IT infrastructure and, in turn, their Quality Management System (QMS).  First came the client-server (thick client); then came the Web client(thin client); and now Software as a Service (SaaS) (supermodel thin client).  With the first two, the key component was the hardware.  It was always known that if you wanted software, you had to put it on a box, and someone had to maintain that box.  In this new technological era, IT is tired of maintaining your hardware;  they are looking for ways to deploy the QMS in the "cloud" - the hosted realm where server farms enable virtual operating environments to "float" and draw what bandwidth is needed to make the software work. 

A few months back, I posted an article on the benefits of integrating Quality and Environmental Health and Safety Management Systems with SAP.  Essentially, the focus was on how you can go about finding ways to compliment your current SAP implementation with QMS and EHS systems and how leveraging these workflow-based solutions can enhance your visibility into Quality and Safety with SAP.

Everyone seeks out value.  Whether you're a coupon clipper, a sale shopper, or a garage sale stalker, people look to get some sort of value out of their buying experience.  And if the product is purchased at retail, you look for ways to get the most out of the product you purchased.  I love a good deal - I will put money into something, as long as I know I will gain some form of return on my investment.

I'm ironically writing this, since I will most likely be on vacation when this is released.  I hope my delegation rules worked, so the blog post is not missed.