Summary
The company, a small winery business in Greece, seeks to implement a quality management system, which will be in line with ISO 900 certification standards. The management of this winery based in Paros Island seeks to make the company acquire benefits that are associated with an ISO 900 certification. This certification can help the winery to increase the size of the share market the company currently possesses and make inroads into the new markets as well. The QMS that they have set up within their company will provide the necessary guide that can show how the company will achieve such a target. The setting up of the QMS faced some challenges during implementation, which were addressed in the document (Aggelogiannopoulos, Drosinos, & Athanasopoulos, 2007, p. 1077).
Key Learning Points
Some of the key learning points are that the ISO 900 certification is the best yardstick through which a company that seeks to excel in customer service can assess itself. Business organizations need to design the QMS systems within their organizations, according to the needs of their clients and their market at large. Companies can come up with policies, which enhance their standing in the market by ensuring the value of their goods and services is among the best in the industries in which they operate (Persse, 2007, p. 152).
The ISO 900 standards focus on customer needs and their expectations because of the operation of QMS processes within an organization that must be for the sole purpose of meeting the high expectations of clients (Persse, 2007, p. 150). The ISO 900 certification has gained prominence, and by 2004, it was recognized officially in more than 130 countries across the world. Companies can ensure that they have total quality management controls within the organization that audits all the activities of the company.
Relevant Statements to the Session
Total quality management (TQM) practices are necessary for any company that seeks to grow its market share to meet its targets. The formulation of appropriate Quality Management Systems (QMS) contributes significantly to the level of growth a company is likely to realize within a given period of time. Companies must ensure that the QMS that is adopted within the organization complies with the expectations its clients have of it. The ISO 9001:2000 is a standard that is suitable for a wide variety of purposes, which a company engages in (Schlickman, 2003, p. 51).
Critical Analysis
Controls should be established in the dealings a firm has with its clients to ensure that it adopts safety measures in the products and services it provides to them. The management must provide all the necessary resources that will make it possible for its staff to comply with the QMS that is already established within the company. The environment in the company must be one that makes it possible for workers to comply with the guidelines as set out in the QMS. Top management must review from time to time the level of compliance that exists within the organization and must reward positive efforts made by their workers (Aggelogiannopoulos, Drosinos, & Athanasopoulos, 2007, pp. 1081-1084).
Practical Implications
The management systems within any firm should help employees to acquire the necessary skills that will make them comply with the set quality controls established. The ISO 9001:2000 certification requires workers to have the skills needed for them to perform the functions allocated to them by the management. The quality management systems require a significant amount of time for them to be effective, which can make it possible for the organization to achieve the necessary standards (West & Cianfrani, 2004, p. 14).
References
Aggelogiannopoulos, D., Drosinos, E. H., & Athanasopoulos, P. (2007). Implementation of a quality management system (QMS) according to the ISO 9000 family in a Greek small-sized winery: A case study. Food Control, 18, 1077-1085.
Persse, J. (2007). Process improvement essentials: CMMI, Six SIGMA, and ISO 9001. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.
Schlickman, J. (2003). ISO 9001:2000 quality management system design. Norwood, MA: Artech House.
West, J., & Cianfrani, C. (2004). Unlocking the power of your QMS: Keys to performance improvement. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press.