System harmonisation in quality management

Gradual harmonisation for consistent quality standards

Developing a global quality management across company’s sites, languages and standards just seems like a waste of effort? It most certainly is not, the expert would say. Modern software solutions support a smooth harmonization of differing systems. Nonetheless, introducing global quality standards and merging a variety of QM systems, at least in some areas, usually poses a series of challenges – both in terms of system technology and of the organisational change processes.

System harmonisation can be quite an endeavour: QM systems in widely branched corporate structures have often grown into isolated solutions and self-sufficient systems, completely independent of each other. This results in decentralised document and process landscapes with inconsistent regulations, responsibilities and structures. Furthermore, harmonisation of these heterogeneous structures and the development of global standards must take into account the existing corporate structures, languages and national specificities that might prove highly diverse.

The main topics in this technical report:

• Hamonising local and global structures
• Harmonising complex QM structures and QM systems
• Proven methods for system harmonisation
• Multi-stage testing and approval procedure
• Multilingualism - no obstacle to system harmonisation
• Smooth change management