Components of Quality Management in Procurement and Supply

Planning for Quality Management

Develop a Quality Management Plan: Identify techniques and the standards that will be used to perform and monitor quality management in your procurement and supply.
Quality Assurance Planning: Outline your plan to meet quality requirements by setting quality targets and specifying how they will be monitored and controlled.

Quality Assurance

Systematic Approach: Use a systematic approach to compare actual performance with requirements and standards.
Structured Audits: Conduct regular audits to identify non-compliance issues or potential improvements.
Continuous Improvement: It isn’t enough to meet standards; there must also be an ongoing commitment to improve on those standards.

Quality Control

Implement Checkpoints: Regular checkpoints allow you to inspect the quality of goods or services at different stages in the process.
Employ Testing: Utilise robust testing procedures to identify and rectify any faults or defects.
Apply Corrective Actions: When issues are identified, effective corrective actions can ensure they are resolved effectively.

Quality Improvement

Foster Proactive Problem Solving: Encourage your team to solve problems proactively and improve processes, rather than simply reacting to issues.
Engage in Benchmarking: Comparing to businesses that are leading in quality can provide goals to aim for and ideas for how to reach those goals.
Promote Employee Involvement: Involving employees at all levels in quality improvements fosters a culture that supports continued quality enhancement.

Remember, successful quality management in procurement isn’t just about ensuring goods or services meet a certain standard, but also striving for constant improvement. This will drive performance, improve relationships with suppliers, and boost customer satisfaction.