When embarking on a new quality management system, or any other business project for that matter, it is important that your team members know management’s expecations. Inconsistent, vague or nonexistent expectations will almost always come back to bite you.
A quality system, particularly an ISO9001:2000 quality management system, is all about trying to keep your company organized and focused on doing the right thing. A quality system is part of your plan, a sort of blueprint that your people are to follow. Without a blueprint, how can you successfully build a house? Without a map and a direction, how can you know where to steer your ship?
Implementing a quality management system can be a lengthy, complicated task. Depending on your organization, it could take weeks or months before your system is fully operational. You have to decide who your project manager will be, and give that person the necessary time, tools, and manpower needed in order to make your quality system successful.
Part of your quality system implementation is letting your people know what is expected of them. It will be extremely helpful if you assign tasks with reasonable deadlines. Handing tasks out to people with no guidance, and no timeframe, is setting them up for failure. While your team member may feel as if they have failed, in reality it could be you who failed.