Quality management systems for production

Thanks to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it's now relatively easy to calibrate your company's quality management system to global agreements. Specialized quality management software helps you get your own systems in order for ISO requirements.

I recommend: ISO standards are very important for any export product, like medical equipment, car parts, information technology, electronics and other technical components. Some vendors of ISO-oriented quality management tools include Master Control, Sigma Aldrich, QCSS, Diversified Data Systems, and IndySoft. There's more on QMS software for meeting ISO standards at Business.com.

Building a quality management system for compliance

Beyond ISO, there are many legal hurdles to getting your widget (or service) to market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for one, and the raft of new rules regarding financial entities known as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). Tracking these requirements is often the task of a quality management system.

I recommend: Quality management tools for services and the food and drug industries can be might specific, but they all work the same way: Getting the rules into the process and forcing your employees to follow them while at work. Training helps but software ensures that things happen the right way. So called "enterprise" quality management systems can be found by ETQ, Syntex Solutions, Policy Tech and Open Pages. Seem more SOX compliance and FDA compliance at Business.com.

Risk management as a quality management tool

Long a significant part of corporate cost control, risk management increasingly comes bundled into compliance and quality management software suites.

I recommend: Generally, the difference is in providing audits. Software that tracks every process, every memo, very instruction and e-mail is a good legal practice, but it also creates the halo effect of quality through oversight. Take a look at quality management systems from Pentana, BPS, SAS, and Methodware. See also risk management software for operations at Business.com.

Quality management software for service industries

Of course, the United States long ago moved to service as the mainspring of its economy. Accordingly, a generation of service-oriented quality management tools have arrived.

I recommend: Find a quality management tool to track clients, follow up, suggest cross-sells and otherwise keep your managers on task. Consider offerings from Aptora, ESC, MetricStream, and Intelex. There's more on the right quality management software tool at Business.com.