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Why a quality manual?

by Sara
(USA)

Greetings Everyone,

I would like to wish everyone the best for the year 2010.

I would like to raise a general question, maybe it has been raised already but I thing is interesting topic and would like to get some opinions on it.

Why a quality manual?

I mean the quality manual is the only document that is never read or used by anyone in the organization at least in mine. The external auditor come's and read it once a year and that's it.

Procedures, work instructions and a policies, that's what my organization and our customers are interested in, which is logical.

Maybe I am not in to the QMS industry long enough to understand, but a quality manual is completely useless, the only thing that it does is confirming the requirements of the standard and their are simpler ways of doing that.

I would like to hear someone ells opinion regarding quality manual and their purpose and benefits because currently I don't see any use in them.


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Why a quality manual?

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Feb 02, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Why a Quality Manual
by: Ken Patchett

Every Quality System either paper based or on line needs an index and that is the Quality Manual
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Authority rolls down hill
by: Henry Bertram

The order of precedence for these documents could be, for example, Quality Manual, Policy, Procedure and Work Instruction. You would not expect the business leader (e.g. president, CEO etc.) to sign every document to provide the authority of his or her office to that document. Instead, the instructions of the business leader and his/her authority go into the approved Quality Manual and the policies are given the authority of the leader from the manual. The procedures get their authority form the policies and so forth.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why a quality manual?
by: Anonymous

A manual is only really a statement of intent and yes, it is only generally viewed during audits.Procedures and polocies form the backbone of a good QMS. There is a reasoning behind omitting this, and show the actual standard the company's QMS is based on.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual
by: Howard

The problem is that most Quality Manuals are rewrites of the standard and have no value at all.
The Quality Manual should be a short explanation to all the staff of what the company does,what it intends to do and how it intends to do it.
The best manuals are very short, visual and actual have something to say.
The problem is not in the requirement rather in the manuals.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		QUALITY MANUAL
by: HERBERT

QUALITY MANUAL IS ONLY A VEHICLE WHICH SUPPORTS HOW THE COMPANY OPERATES. AND IS A REFERECE INDEX OF OTHER DOCUMENTS IN PLACE DEVELOPED DURING AN IMPLEMENTATION OF AN STANDARD.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		THE QUALITY MANUAL
by: Adebiyi

A quality manual is a documentation of the policy, plan, processes, implementation, procedures guideline, responsibility and accountabilities, audit and review programme of an organisation developed, designed to deliver continouos quality improvement in product and service through continual improvement in the management system.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality as a cornerstone of culture
by: Anonymous

Manuals are merely documents and are not really worth the paper they are written on.

That said creating the manual is an extremely important process.

If the creation of such an manual is done as a collaborative process it is an ideal opportunity to create a culture of quality and define exactly what that culture is.

The most successful organizations that I have worked at have made the creation process a foundation of who they are. Everyone has contributed and is consequently on board, understands and works towards creating that culture.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		the "thing" manual
by: Adel Zou'bi

Take for example my Kenwood TV manual, for the install, problem occurrence, responsible function, I should read it, the same for your company, it’s manual, addressing the frame of work inside the company, it is a reference point for the process and a charter.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		QUALITY MANUAL
by: Anonymous

Quality Manual is not something to be prepared for CB's assessors to be read once a year. It is a concise document describing the interaction of the QMS processes, defining the scope of the quality management system, including details of and justification for any exclusions, and including the documented procedures established for the quality management system, or a reference to them. This is a requirment of the standard.

So, a QM may be only a few pages...A quality manual written against the all requirements of the standard is useless and this should be avoided. However, in adition to the basic requirements of the standard, some organizations put seveal more pages introducing their organization, an organization chart, communication channels, and some text describing the general activities carried out.

QM is the top level document and is start point of QMS.

By the way, what responsibilities you have in your organization, Sarah?

Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual
by: Anonymous

Hi,
Quality Manual is a documentation on procedures, activities and processes indexed in a systematic one. It is also a guide of a way of doing things systematically and orderly. It should not be used once yearly or prior to the auditor's visit because this will reveal your intent to stifle continuous improvement. Quality manual cannot be written for life. Its a continual improvement booklet containing your organisation development in each process/ product.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Necessity of a Quality Manual
by: Anonymous

Most companies ignore a Quality Manual until it is in trouble. Documentation of policies, procedures and processes are necessary for any company to remain compliant. A company that cares about their image and responsiblities to their customer's, suppliers and distributors will have a QM updated and implemented.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		use? quality manual
by: Anonymous

A quality manual should served as a bible for a company.

A catalyst in the output for any individual in the organization.

A quality manual serves as a guide in case memory has lost its use.

A quality manual should never lost its purpose.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Response: Why a Quality Manual
by: Charlotte C. Qualls, RN, MA

The quality manual is important for any organization to have.

The manual is not only used once a year when accrediting organizations come to assess the organization but should be a guide for any employee to maintain the quality of their services.

It should be available at a known location or via intranet for any employee to read anytime there is any question about the quality of their practice.
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual needs regular review and good execution
by: Anonymous

Currently Organizations are keen on getting external quality standard quality organization's certification i.e. ISO. I had experience on how to get a ISO certification and it evolves from procedural driven certifying to balance between procedure and customer's satisfaction.

ISO 9001 original version is very procedural driven. I agree with you that, after setting up the manual, seldom of employees review it regularly or periodically.

There are reasons for that :

-Managers or Senior executives are not keen on ensuring the compliance of the manual on its daily operation.
-They only review when something went wrong or getting complaints from customers/business partner;
-old or experience staff rely on their experience/memories i/o reviewing the manual on regular basis;
-Manual's content is not updated on regularly basis when the requirement or procedures have been changed- a kind of temporary outdated manual(before the annual audit by external auditors)
-Manual's content are not realistic to a certain extent or in part of procedures(eg. all incoming materials need 100% quality check in DC or warehouse before sending to various department/users while the logistics/delivery cycles are getting shorter and shorter).
-People will intend to skip part of the checking or make up quality checking reports(in order to be complied with the manual's requirement in order to pass the intrim/annual audit).
-External Certification is also a kind of marketing/promition tools.

Therefore senior management/board level executives are keen on getting this certification to enhance its corporate images on quality(particularly on production driven/related business/manufacturers.

The Pros of being certified helps the organization to review if their procedure/operations logical / effective by going through the operation of the whole organization; it is also an useful training tools for new employee.

The effectiveness of the manual relies on the execution. It needs a top side down driving force to push that.

Dennis Chung
Feb 02, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		QUALITY MANUAL
by: Anonymous

Quality manual is used to align the employees with the company vision.
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		quality manual
by: samir biswas

quality manual is the fountainhead of all the actions that takes place in the organizations.the policies, systems,procedures operating standard all flows from it step wise.

when it is followed, as intended,accuracy,consistency and repeatability is ensured.

it also guides us to corrective measures when desired results are not obtained.further improvement in performance is also prompted.
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		why a quality manual
by: dimitris.agalos@ked.gr

Dear Sara

Because you have to show (advertise), demonstrate, that your conpany &your dept has a structure that complies with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008(for example) standard without giving procedure details. It describes what the company does.

Have a nice day
Dimitris Agalos

GENOME
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why QM?
by: Anonymous

The Quality Manual purpose is to guide you doing the business, and you will get the benefit at the time you when you're constructing the document (you won't doing your business without direction, will you? Beside, we're human: NO BODY PERFECT)
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		quality Bibel
by: Anonymous

one of the most important document in any organization is the quality manual; this is why I, am naming it the Quality Bible because it is the only document in the organization that contains the vital documents(organization, mission, vision, objectives, values, scope of services) and the identity and ethics of the organization.

It also gives clear ideas about the history, current status and the expectations of the near future of the organization.

Quality manual contains the status of the quality process in regards to control, improvement, staff development and the result of the annual quality assessment.

Dr. Jamal Hamdi, TQM director SAFH
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		QM as reference point
by: Victor Hodibert

I think that the purpose of a quality manual is to serve as a reference point for correction, review, updating or upgrading of quality requirements and standards at any point in time, should there be the need.
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		quality manual
by: jasim

this comment is correct because of the quality culture in the industrial organizations ,this needs better awareness and training about quality improvement system ,the manual is important to understand the system and the processes interactions .

so without this no complete picture will be clear to responsible people to do better improvement. part of the problem also from ex.auditors they don't recommend actions in this area.
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual
by: Fred Sn

Quality Manual is a written commitment to the customer on the product or service the customer can expected.
Feb 03, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why a quality manual
by: Joyce

Most QM is a simple copy of standard without any value. But if an organization has enough experience and give enough emphasis on QMS, the QM is very useful to show the full visage of the organization.

What's the organization do? what's the key process? It's the index to detail information.
Feb 05, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual = Quality DNA
by: Nes Raneses

Hi Sara, your question is truly fundamental.If an organization truly believes in the true spirit of total quality, what basic function does a quality manual serve ? It DEFINES the Quality DNA of the organization.

What you are experiencing with your quality manual is a manifestation of how organizations adhere to the true spirit of truly thinking, breathing,living and improving how you do business in the best possible way.
All the best,
Feb 05, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality Manual what is its use.
by: Derren McAlpine

all QMS need some sort of structure in place and that is where the quality manual comes into play. it may appear never to be used except in audits but it is the main backbone of the whole quality system as it will regulate what work instructions and procedures are used and as other members have stated it is an index of the system and can often be refereed to an abstract of a companies quality ethos.
Feb 05, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Thank You
by: Sara

Dear All :

Thank you all for your help and your response ; it was really valuable .

Sara
Feb 07, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why not?
by: najjarian

I agree with you that no one read Q.M.but it means that we don't need to it
when you learn to drive you don't need to read drive rules?

why the police penalize you ?

his bases is DRIVING RULES.
in a systematic approach we need to define all of elements in systems ,In holistic and local view.

Q.M is a holistic view that shall be meet local view in P and W.I(local view).

many years ago i found importance of Q,m. when i was in ROVER, WHEN WE NEGOTIATE ABOUT BUYING GEAR BOX LINE (COMPLETELY), I WAS Quality Assurance manager and I want to know HOW THEY CONTROL SYSTEM AND SELLERS DON'T LIKE TO GIVE US P AND W.I BECAUSE THEY INCLUDE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND VERY TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT BOTTOM LINE.
Feb 07, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Quality manual an essential part of management
by: Ranjeet Prajapati

Creation of quality manual is meant to ensure to achieve desired result each time and every time with same standard.there is a famous saying"memory may fail us,refer publication",hence we need manual& Standard operating Procedures.

Some times non adoption or non observance of rules of procedure may proved fatal.for example, a parachute before issue to actual user(para jumper)must be packed,stored,issued and handled in accordance with standard check list. same is case with aviation & explosive industries.

However,frequent& day to day referral to QM ,the quality guide lines becomes part of one's habit., in that case one may not use QM.

But frequent referral is must to update with latest quality amendment. so QM is not only important but very important document.
Feb 08, 2010
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starstarstar 		QM is a constitution
by: Ashraf Youssef

QM is a constitution for any organization to define the road map to its system. In other word it is like a root for the tree.
Feb 10, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		quality manual
by: kolade julius

it is a guide towards ensuring a specific mode of operation is followed at all time to maintain consistency.
Mar 05, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why a quality manual?
by: Daniel

A Quality Manual is only as important as the upper management makes it.

In order for the QM to have any weight at all upper mgmnt needs to practice what they preach. This is not always the case in many corporations.

The QM is accessable to anyone who wants to review it as it points out the direction, procedures, and beliefs of the corporation.

This manual is usually not displayed properly and is used in many cases for punishment purposes instead of its intended use.

The QM should change or be reviewed Annually to improve or remove items that do not pertain to the workplace.

Try running that one by upper management and see what kind of resistance you get?
Mar 24, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		WHY A QUALITY MANUAL?
by: BUDS M. FERNANDO

Preparing a quality manual basically follows the ISO-QMS principle: document what you do; and do what you document.

The general requirements are: Say what you do, Do what you say.

That's the logic behind documenting or developing a formal and structured approach to your operations.

You need to identify the important tasks and establish the sequence in which they should be performed. Important tasks farmed out to others (outsourcing) must be included.

You will need to identify measures and record information so that you know how you are doing from time to time in a given process or system.

A quality manual is also a quality plan with its given objectives, quality policy, targets, programs and designs based on what your customer wants.

Quality is what the customer says it is. Quality is conformance to requirements. And requirements either come directly from the customer or they come from you and are agreed to by the customer in a document called: Quality Manual.

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