How Is the Top Management Responsible for Quality

Introduction

How Is the Top Management Responsible for Quality is one of those critical factors on which business success of all organisations hinges. Hence, the top management of a company ought to take a sincere and active interest in setting up, enforcing and fostering a robust QMS or Quality Management System, based on a belief in collaborative efforts and continuous improvement. The ISO 9000  has devoted 15 percent of its standard’s text to pronouncing its expectations from the highest rung on the issue of quality.  It makes it mandatory for the top leadership, which includes the chairman or president and his immediate teammates to play a direct and pivotal role in managing Quality in their organisation.

Key Responsibilities of Top Management

The key role and responsibilities of the top management with regard to QMS include:

Consistent Commitment

According to clause 5.1 of the ISO 9001 standards, “the top management is required to demonstrate a consistent commitment of making QMS effective through regards communications, establishing a quality policy and quality objectives, management reviews and resource provision.” The management should take into its fold representatives from all sections of the organisation as well all the stakeholders while devising QMS policies and strategies. The needs  be engaged in regular and effective communication to make its staff aware of the QMS.

Ensure Customer Satisfaction

According to clause 5.1 of the ISO 9001 standards, “the top management is required to demonstrate a consistent commitment of making QMS effective through regards communications, establishing a quality policy and quality objectives, management reviews and resource provision.” The management should take into its fold representatives from all sections of the organisation as well all the stakeholders while devising QMS policies and strategies.

Establishing Effective Communication System & Staff Training

The top management should be engaged in regular and effective communication to make its staff aware of the QMS adopted by it, including its various implications. It is desirable that they expound with clarity how the adoption of the new system would favour the overall growth of the organisation. This communication is needed to have the  more prepared and motivated to accept and work in the newly devised framework of affairs. Additionally, the staff should be provided with the necessary knowledge and trained to develop the requisite skills.

Participation in Ongoing Planning

The overriding concern of the QMS is to work towards providing customer-satisfactory output. The endeavour requires the participation of the top bosses in the planning processes, whether they deal with documentation, customer feedback or audits. The top management should ideally invest in a good QMS software which generates quantifiable data to measure product quality and process quality objectives. For the sound growth of the company, it is necessary for the management keeps itself involved in the on-going planning processes.

Conduct Regular Reviews

Implementation of the Quality system entails a set of dynamic processes, involving regular modifications, changes or even revision. Through analysis of quantifiable data on quality, managers can track the progression of tasks under operation. The unsatisfactory processes and production defects should be looked into and rectified promptly. It is imperative that the top management remains involved, directly or indirectly in the continual improvement processes.

Conclusion

The success of a Quality Management System is not possible without the active participation of the top management. All quality-related operation should be conducted under its close supervision. In increasingly globalised market operations and fierce competition, quality has assumed a critical role in the success of a company. Hence, the top management can ignore QMS only at its business perils.