This article on “Quality Management Systems” is part 3 of a series, part 1 of which, titled “Conditions for the participation of enterprises in open distribution networks,” was published in issue 4/2003 of “Logistyka,” while part 2, “Supply chains as a form of trade in the modern market economy,” was published in 5/2003.
The current article presents the conditions and requirements that must be met by enterprises when implementing ISO Quality Management Systems in warehouses, as well as the benefits resulting from this. For a modern enterprise striving to improve the implementation of internal processes and focused on satisfying current and anticipated customer needs, QMS is currently a fundamental tool for increasing and stabilizing its market position in the conditions of economic globalization, constant growth of competition, and customer requirements.
The importance of Quality Management Systems for enterprises in a market economy
On the eve of obtaining full membership in the European Union, Polish enterprises must already compete by offering their products and services on the domestic market, European markets, and non-European markets. Only companies offering products and services of the highest quality, at accessible prices, can count on regular customers and succeed in the fight against competitors. Survival in the market in the current situation of economic globalization, constant growth of competition, and customer requirements is an ambitious challenge for intelligent, self-learning, and self-improving enterprises that strive to improve management and are customer-oriented. Realizing this challenge, more and more enterprises are now entering the “path” of quality in terms of improving the management of internal production or service processes and contacts with the environment. For a company to constantly improve, it must reach for modern management methods and apply comprehensive quality management systems. The first step leading to the improvement of company management is the implementation and application of a quality system in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard. These requirements are applied not only in the area of voluntary enterprise-customer relations but also in the mandatory area. This refers, among other things, to directives for product certification for compliance with directives in European Union countries, which condition the introduction of a product to the market on the implementation and maintenance of a Quality Management System. In Poland, these directives are already being implemented. Increasingly, having an implemented and certified Quality Management System is a condition for participating in tenders, exchanges, or signing a contract. This also applies to the selection of a business partner in domestic, and especially European, supply chains when concluding business agreements regarding long-term, partnership cooperation. Enterprises that have implemented and certified Quality Management Systems are perceived as a competent, reliable, professional partner, carrying out internal processes at the expected level, in accordance with the requirements of ISO directives, and demonstrating the ability to continuously improve these processes in terms of the quality of services offered, as well as raising the culture of cooperation with customers in terms of meeting their current requirements and future expectations.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 1/2004.