Guarantee for Success: Involve Employees in QM

Quality Management Systems (QMS) are a proven key factor to success and help organisations grow in a controlled way. When implementing a QMS in all areas, the integration of employees is a key factor for successful introduction. After all, it are the employees who have to implement the new understanding of quality and, ideally, help shape it. Here are a few tips for employee involvement.

The introduction of a QMS does not necessarily have to be seen as a welcome innovation from the employees' point of view. The very term "quality improvement" implies that management is only partially satisfied with the company's productivity. Moreover, terms such as "audit", "certification" and "process optimisation" are at first glance probably understood by many rather as additional control mechanisms. Of course they are, but their purpose is not to control employees or to spur them on to better performance. Rather, it is about sensitising everyone in the organisation to the issue of quality, as it is supposed to bring benefits for all involved. This is exactly what should be clearly communicated in the run-up to the introduction.

Advantage Communication and Team Spirit

Before introducing or intensifying a QMS, it should be clearly communicated to employees what purpose the QMS is to serve. It is a matter of creating a common awareness and credibly assuring employees that each individual will be an important part of the system. The following aspects may be considered for communication:

• It is not about more intensive work control of employees.
• Everyone in the company has the opportunity to actively participate.
• Regular working time is invested for the topic of quality improvement (no additional workload).
• The positive effects benefit everyone.
• The QMS creates new options for career development.
• Everyone can take responsibility for quality-enhancing projects.
• - Knowledge is imparted in regular training sessions (as part of working time).

If the employees are involved in the QMS in this way from the outset, a high level of acceptance on the part of the workforce can be expected.

Quality Project Group as a Nucleus for improvements

In many organisations it has proven successful to form project groups in the individual departments that meet regularly during working hours. Participation should be optional for the employees, and in principle the group should be open. Each group should appoint a person from its own ranks to moderate the meetings and be responsible for documentation - sometimes called a QM person (QMP). This position can also be filled on a rolling basis, for example every six months. The responsible person also acts as a mediator to other quality groups in the company and communicates to the next hierarchical level of the company-wide QMS. The meetings of the group should take place at least once a month and in a generous time frame. The group should analyse processes, work out improvements, document them and formulate the implementation in instructions for action. The meeting also includes regular controlling of the measures already implemented and the measurable results.

Develop a Positive "Error Culture"

Mistakes are the most important source of real improvement. Nevertheless, many companies still have the error culture of times long past. Most employees have internalised an error culture that only triggers negative associations: It is better to cover up mistakes in order not to attract negative attention and to avoid a bad evaluation. In an active QMS, the error culture should be changed to the effect that an admission of errors is valued positively. Those who make mistakes and get to the bottom of their causes make an active contribution to eliminating sources of error in general and thus contribute to more satisfaction at work for themselves as well as for their colleagues. Employees should realise that actively communicating a mistake is a valuable contribution to quality improvement.

Workshops instead of Training and Communicative Accompaniment

As mentioned at the beginning, a functioning QMS is only promising if it is supported by the employees. In order to inform everyone in the organisation about the planned qualitative improvements, training must be organised. Ideally, these trainings are offered in the form of workshops. This implies from the outset that it is about active participation and that every employee is given the opportunity to help shape quality improvement. Beyond the training, the QM project should also be accompanied by active and open communication, for example as a separate section on the intranet. Employees should be given the opportunity to communicate suggestions, comments and ideas and also to participate in the process across departments.