Quality assurance provides several benefits for manufacturing businesses and their customers. Here are the good things that result from QA and the proper way to do it.
Manufacturing business requires quality assurance to make sure that customers get high-quality goods. Following quality standards benefits not only the customers but also the company. The process consists of important tasks, but luckily, there is a high-tech solution to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Quality assurance is a part of a quality management system that helps manufacturers maintain their quality standards. It focuses on systemic activities that make sure the company follows the production standards. Quality assurance compels the manufacturer to work based on official production requirements and quality standards.
Quality assurance is slightly different from quality control. According to the American Society of Quality (ASQ), quality assurance focuses on all the activities that demonstrate the manufacturer’s adherence to quality. Meanwhile, quality control focuses on demonstrating quality assurance, which includes auditing the production process, inspecting the final products, and testing.
In short, Quality Assurance is defined as a proactive management task and based on the process. Meanwhile, quality control is reactive and based on products or objects.
Quality assurance offers multiple benefits, not only for the customers but also for the company. Here are several reasons for implementing the QA:
Production efficiency happens when every production element is in good condition. This means high-quality materials, lack of defects, working machinery, proper warehouse, and competent workers. Efficient production means fewer resources and time spent to achieve the goal.
Conducting quality assurance will create cost efficiency. The QA prevents quality issues from the beginning, preventing faults, returns, repairs, and other cost-related problems.
Product quality determines the level of customer trust toward a brand, product, and company. Conducting the QA can improve the quality of the manufacturing output. It will create a positive response from the customers and increase their level of trust toward the business.
Growing the business requires a consistent quality level and cost efficiency, among other things. Conducting regular QA helps you maintain these important factors in running a business, including in the manufacturing field. It can also help the manufacturer gain trust from the stockholders and potential business partners.
Quality assurance contributes to a better work environment. It reduces risky practices and hazards, ensuring that both workers and the environment are in the best conditions for production.
Quality assurance is a process that takes multiple steps to ensure good product quality. Here is how a company should do it:
The QA process in all companies must follow a specific quality standard. It includes the SOP, ISO certificates, national and international regulations, and HACCP. These standards must also be reviewed and even renewed periodically.
QA must always be a part of resource planning, where the manufacturer manages all resources in the production plan. It ensures proper inspection and fault/nonconformity detection.
Strong communication model is important in QA to ensure the best result. The inspectors and other related officers must communicate their findings to responsible departments. Good communication also helps in delivering information about faults, errors, and other problems more quickly.
Testing system must be created based on the SOP, ISO, and other formal standards. The system must also include reviewing, evaluating, and re-evaluating the results to find the problems. All defects, damages, faults, and inconsistencies must be reported immediately.
The inspection process must be done throughout the production line. The results must be concluded into comprehensive, insightful data and reports. They will be important for review and improvement strategy.
Quality assessment in the modern age can be done with technology such as digital management tools. Nimbly, for example, provides a digital checklist to make sure that all the important QA tasks are completed. The inspectors and related officers can share their findings using a mobile app as opposed to slow and impractical manual records.
Nimbly also offers an issue tracking feature that automatically alerts when it finds inconsistencies or other faults. The inspectors can immediately share this info with related departments, ensuring a quick response. Everything can be accessed in a digital dashboard that supports collaborative works.
Quality assurance is one of the most important tasks to do in the manufacturing business. Download Nimbly now to make sure that it is done properly without faults.