subject: Quality Management Without The Paper. [print this page] Equas SmartPro,the largest UKfranchisededicated to creating ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management systems, launched a new software version of its ISO ina Box product that could change the way that qualityand environmental management systems are perceived.
Whenasked what ISO quality management systems mean, owners of SME businesses typically respondbysaying either a lot of bureaucracy or ISO is somethingthat a company needs if it wants towork with the public sector. Thiscynicism is usuallybased on the perception that quality managementmust inhibit effective management andthat the organisationwill sink under the weight ofpaperwork.
Early last yearEquas MD, David Morgan, took the decision to tackle this perception by investing in technology. He explains we knew that an effective quality management system had to be simple to use,capable of effective document management and, most importantly, be accessible by staff throughout the organisation - wherever they worked. We came up with the idea of a new productwhich we called "ISO Activ",but needed a trusted technology partner to deliver it.
Equas approached their own software suppliers with the idea. Technical Director of GreyRidge Software, Tom Hill, describes whatEquas were looking for: David wanted an easy-to-use way of delivering and editing processes and documents without the need for a paper manual. This need developed into a concept of editable 'wiki' pages, supported with embedded standard office documents and the potential for mapping processes in an intuitive way.
The result is an innovative product that could welltransform the image of ISO in the marketplace. Businesses simply sign-up for the system and, with security and hosting all taken care of and with access to a flexible template system and documentation library, they can start the process of implementing ISO qualityand environmental management systemsin minutes.
David is delighted: We are committed to breaking down the idea that ISO is all about paperwork and is simply something you get because a customer has asked for it. The newISO Activsystem is a core part of this approach. We know that with it, people will start to see quality management as something that is genuinely useful and easy to do. Sales Director of Equas, Mike Dowd, says the best thing is that it is as easy to understand as a paper system yet it involves no paper and cuts down on bureaucracy. I am a technophobe and even I find it easy!
After many months of design and development, the new software has now been launched and is already starting to prove popular. More than 15 businesses have started using the system with many more about to follow. David is particularly pleased that it is unexpectedly taking them beyond the SME marketplace andattracting interest fromlarge corporations. For example, Equas are currently usingActiv to implement anintegrated quality management systemfor a company with manufacturing operations in six countries. Inaddition, Equas have just signed an agreementto franchise the new product inCanada and the US, and are inprocess of concluding a similar agreementwith a German partner.
by: Jim Strange
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