This is the second in a 4-part series on ditching the manual processes and automating them with technology, going from manual to automated in minutes. For more information, check out the webinar series on this here. There are so many options out there when it comes to choosing a cloud-based QMS that you may be left with a dilemma…so much information, yet what to do with it?! You can short circuit and shut down or you can take this quick guide to arm yourself with the knowledge of what to look for (Hint: you want all the functionality that you’d get in an on-premises solution, just in a more compact and cost-effective package.)
When looking into cloud-based QMSs, there are 4 main qualities that you should look for.
In no particular order, these are:
- Flexibility: Not as in stretchy, but as in able to be molded by you to fit your organization specifically. This includes logins and keywords as well as look and feel—perhaps you’d prefer a cool blue or a warmer tone—the point is it’s all in your hands. When it comes to making sure employees are comfortable with the system, simple things like this can make a big difference.
There are many software vendors who tout flexibility as a benefit yet they don’t truly offer it. A flexible system will give you full license to mold the system to match your company’s unique way of doing business… instead of the other way around. This means that you do not have to sacrifice who you are for the software. You can remain unique to you and your brand. To ensure that the system you are interested in is in fact flexible, ask for a free trial of the system. Trying it for yourself is the best way to know exactly what you’re getting.
- Scalability: As companies become more successful, they will typically expand to cover new business. This expansion not only includes additional locations, but also additional employees. Eventually your company’s growth will impact your QMS. You may want to add additional modules, languages or business and then some. So when it comes to scalability, consider the QMSs ability to grow along with your organization—this means that regardless of how much growth your organization experiences over time, the QMS will support it without running out of bandwidth.
A scalable system will not restrict your growth, but will nourish it—a benefit for any small but rising company.
- Reporting: The typical quality system brings in so much information that visibility is a must to keep track of all this data and to make any correlations between trends across your organization. This visibility into common business processes is key to fostering change within your organization. Any adverse events, corrective actions taken, or changes made can all be combined into a single, holistic report, increasing visibility into these processes. This enables you to see trends in adverse events that occurred throughout your enterprise, in the form of a tidy little report that you can give to management, and shed light onto any areas within the organization that needs improvement.
- Built-in Processes for Quality Management: When it comes to the QMS, it is also important to have processes that can communicate with each other to enhance the overall visibility and collaboration within not just your organization but your enterprise. Look for a QMS that has built-in best practices for common business processes such as Corrective Action, Document Control, Training and Audits. A modular system comes with these processes already built-in and integrated to readily communicate with each other and to provide a more intuitive and automated quality management experience for your company.
This is simply a sneak peek, a quick cheat sheet meant to guide you in your QMS travels. To find out more on how others have made the switch and ditched, check out this webinar series on a budget-friendly QMS. I also encourage you to read further about what to look for in a cloud-based QMS by downloading this white paper, “A Best Practices Guide to Quality Management.” This guide expands on the elements discussed above—read on to learn more about what to look for in a cloud-based QMS to ensure that you’re getting the most long-term value for your money.