Introduction of a quality system at an office furniture manufacturer

Project period: June 2016 - August 2016
Involved consultants: 1

Task

The objective of the project was the structured development and implementation of a quality management system according to a quality standard.

Procedure

The project was carried out in eight steps:

1st step: Working out the current situation

Responsible: Management, quality management representatives, responsible persons of the divisions, external REFA consultant

Activities: Collection of all records and documents available in the company that are necessary for the definition of the objectives, planning, implementation and testing of the company’s products.

2nd step: Motivating and sensitising the employees

Responsible: Management, executives, persons responsible for the divisions, external REFA consultant, external REFA lecturer

Activities:

• Information by means of a company meeting
• Posters
• Company newspaper
• Performance reviews with all project participants
• continuous information    

3rd step: Set vision, strategy, guideline, objectives

Responsible: Management, executives, external REFA consultant

Activities:

• Development of the company vision according to the company strategy and documentation of clearly comprehensible targets.
• Communication, monitoring, correction, improvement and evaluation of these targets in regular meetings of the responsible persons in a comprehensible way
• Definition of clear responsibilities and authorities (organigram)

4th step: Development of a process map

Responsible: Management, executives, responsible persons of the divisions, employees, external REFA moderator

Activities:

• Development of a process map of the company with the classic structure "leadership processes, Core processes, supporting processes"
• This ensures and documents the interaction of the processes within the company.

5th step: Development of processes, creation of process descriptions

Responsible: Designated process owners, employees, external REFA moderator

Activities:

• All processes represented in the process map must be developed and documented with the contents "input, process step, responsibility, documentation, output".
• Interface problems between the processes must be discussed and solved.
• The process owner is responsible for the process and its content.
• Creation of necessary work instructions, test instructions or checklists

General: The presentation and number of documented information or the CI format are determined exclusively by the company.

6th step: Development of an action and improvement plan

Responsible: All employees, external REFA moderator

Activities:

• Preparation of an action and improvement plan with risk analysis and detailed tasks, responsibilities and deadlines

7th step: Carrying out internal audits

Responsible: Trained internal auditors with standard and company-specific knowledge, employees, external REFA auditor, external REFA lecturer

Activities:

• Carrying out internal audits according to approved audit plan

8th step: "Life" of the installed system

Responsible: All company employees, external REFA consultant, external REFA auditor

Activities:

• Implementation of the installed quality system according to internal documentation on the basis of the designated quality standard
• Carrying out audits as well as a regular quality evaluation to improve the system, customer satisfaction, products and to motivate employees as well as to achieve the company’s targets     

Results

These implementation steps were carried out with the above-mentioned tools and with the participation of the employees, and were repeatedly improved under the moderation of an external REFA consultant and auditor.

The company with 350 employees received the quality certificate from a recognised certification company after 14 months, 250 team meetings,  19 internal audits and an action plan with over 140 improvements.

Today, the company produces according to the specified, elaborated Processes and is always sure to improve the system through consistent auditing and regular, documented target reviews. The quality of products and processes is consistently high, and customer satisfaction has increased significantly. Nevertheless, new improvements are always being identified, discussed and implemented.

Innovation has not stopped, but has increased sustainably through everyone’s cooperation and responsibility.