How Can a QMS Template Help My Small Business

A quality management system template is designed specifically to make implementation faster and easier for you. Using a template to document your QMS can save your small business valuable time, money, and manpower that can be utilized elsewhere.

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Using templates is a long-standing practice in the world of quality management systems. They are incredibly helpful tools that benefit anyone that invests in them, no matter the type of business, they will help you get off the ground running.

ISO 9001 matrix

Faster Start

In the beginning, there is a lot of time and attention required in learning all that goes into a quality management system. Generally, it takes more than one person to research and figure out what is required of your business and how to get everything started. Using a template gives you a fantastic starting point, allowing you to jump right into the process rather than spending time worrying about how to go about it.

Choose What Applies To You

When it comes to implementing a quality management system, there are a lot of requirements that are asked of any business. In the case of small businesses, you are able to decide which requirements apply to your business and which do not.

Having a template that already spells out the requirements for you will make it that much easier to take away the ones that don't apply.

Save Time

Getting a quality management system ready to go can be a long process that requires a lot of time from any business. Small businesses don't always have a lot of extra time as they have fewer employees to dedicate solely to the implementation process. Using templates can jump-start the process and save you a lot of time in putting everything together on your own.

Cost-Effective

Using templates to set up a quality management system can save you time but also money. Using fewer hours at the start is a great way to cut costs.

On top of that, you won't have to hire an outside consultant to make sure you are doing everything correctly. Figuring out your quality management system in-house is a cheaper option, and a template makes that process faster and easier to get through.

Lower Work Load

Small businesses may not have the same kind of manpower that a large scale company boasts. Every employee is crucial to the success of the business and has their own part of everything to focus on. When you use a quality management system template, it takes away some of the load that might be placed on your employees. By already having a framework in place, there is less work for everyone to do.

Steady Foundation

Using a quality management system template gives you a solid foundation to start. It's reassuring to know that what you are building on is already proven to work.

Common Approach

Having a proven foundation means that no matter who is involved in the quality management system will follow the same approach.

You don't have to worry about everyone going off on tangents and doing things their own way when they have a guide to follow.

Consistency

For any business, consistency is key. For small businesses, even the smallest indiscretion could cause major problems. A quality management system template helps to prevent anything from getting out of line by giving you a foundation for everything within your system.

Benefits

Benefits of a QMS Template for Small Businesses

Before the search for a template begins, there could be questions about whether a quality management system is even right for your small business. From the outside, it can appear that they are geared toward larger organizations rather than your own. In truth, a quality management system can help your small business in many different ways.

Everyone is Involved - With a small business, it's more likely that a majority of your employees will be involved in the implementation process. Having everyone included means that you have a set of agreed-upon ways of doing things that each and every employee is aware of. A quality management system provides support in everyday procedures and ensures your business is run smoothly and consistently.

Clear Roles - Implementing a quality management system sets up a framework in which every employee plays a part. With this sort of system, everyone has a role that is well defined. Having such a structure in place helps to keep everything in line. No one is left guessing what it is they need to do in their day-to-day work.

Quick Response to Issues - In a small business, even a small issue can cause things to go very wrong. A quality management system is built in such a way that you are looking for risks even before they arise to fix and possibly prevent them in a timely manner. Keeping these issues at bay and making sure they don't occur again means your business will be more productive and successful.

Evidence of Progress - A quality management system comes with certain requirements to keep up with how your business is performing. Once you have everything set in place, it will be much easier to see where your business is excelling and where it might need improvements. This clear evidence is a major perk to a quality management system, as it helps you see what's working and what isn't so you can make changes.

Constant Improvement - Keeping up with the times is essential for small businesses that want to stay in the game. A quality management system is a perfect way to continue to improve your business practices so that you see more and more success. An environment of constant improvement keeps your business at its highest level.

Summary

Using a template to get your quality management system up and running is a wonderful help to any small business. Having a ready to go framework means you don't have to worry about making any major mistakes in the start-up that may be detrimental to your business. With so many templates available you should have no trouble at all finding the best one for you.

Take a look at our ISO 9001 Quality Manual Template

 

Further ISO 9001 QMS Documentation

 

Updated: 19th April 2024
Author: Richard Keen

Richard Keen

Richard Keen

Richard is our Compliance Director, responsible for content & product development.
But most importantly he is ISO's biggest fanboy and a true evangelist of the standards.
Learn more about Richard