What to do when you inherit a QMS?

When an organisation goes through significant change in the management team, corporate knowledge loss is inevitable. So, what does a new management team do when they take on a system that was built by the last management team and the ownership in the QMS by the new team is limited? Add to this the business continuity challenge of using a system where training has been limited.

Some of the most common challenges when new managers inherit a QMS include:

• Ownership: 
  • Lack of management buy-in and oversight 
  • The new management framework isn’t reflected in the data architecture of the QMS 
  • Limited understanding of how to use the system 

• Task delegation:  
  • Majority of tasks are owned by one or two people in the organisation which creates structural vulnerabilities that surface when staff leave the organisation 
  • Responsibility for tasks hasn’t kept pace with changes in the staff team 
  • Tasks that were deemed critical by the last team don’t hold the same value for the next team 
  • Staff either haven’t been given or taken responsibility for managing tasks in the QMS 

What to do with the existing QMS

Here’s a step-by-step process to help you overcome these challenges: 

1. Review the vision, scope and purpose of the QMS 

2. Revise the data architecture to ensure it aligns with changes to the management framework. For more information on setting up your data architecture for success, read last month’s blog. 
   1. Ensure the business areas / departments in the QMS align with changes to the organisational structure 
   2. Review responsibilities and accountabilities for task management in the QMS to ensure they align with revised delegations  
   3. Review the taxonomies for reporting of adverse events, eg feedback and incidents, to ensure they’ll provide decision useful analytics for management 

3. Review the business rules for the management of the QMS 

4. Ensure all staff have received training that matches their responsibilities in the QMS 

Work with your QMS support team

At Logiqc, to support our clients to rapidly onboard new managers, we have developed a range of free support services, which include:

• Introductory training for new System Administrator and those who are primarily responsible for the management of the QMS 
• Online support through a support ticket environment and instructional articles and videos on the Knowledge Base 
• Registration to the LogiqcQMS Academy which provides access to video-based learning courses  
• Project management support, which includes access to an online project management tool and regular communication with our customer engagement team 

Further support can be purchased as required, which includes: 

• Facilitated discussions regarding the data architecture 
• Online training tailored to suit the specific needs of the organisation 
• Online access to product specialist support  
• Health check reports to measure the impact of the QMS, assess its strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. 

Ready to get the most from your LogiqcQMS? Get in touch.