Keeping the QS-9000 process alive: strategies after certification

摘要

Many organizations have now been certified to QS-9000 as the result of the Big-Three mandate. While automotive suppliers have largely succeeded in installing a quality system that is compliant to QS-9000, they have found that living with the system is not as easy as it was to create it initially. The questions that are being asked now include "How do I maintain this quality system?" and "Is there any way to keep people interested in continuous improvement after certification?" This paper addresses the concerns of executives and quality managers who are charged with the responsibility of keeping their formal quality systems alive, to the point that they begin returning a good investment for the sizable initial investment in certification. The paper offers eight strategies that are intended to help recapture the enthusiasm in the quality effort and make the QS-9000 program the foundation to mare useful improvement.