Monitoring a quality system
Monitoring operations is an integral part of any quality management system but it is not a sexy component and so it doesn’t get a lot of coverage in the literature. The reality is that if you think there is a quality system in place and monitoring is not embedded, then there isn’t a quality system in place.
System check
Monitoring is a proactive concept, in that you do it before anything goes wrong, so it is the easiest part of the process to overlook or brush aside because of time pressure. Monitoring is simply a system check to see that everything is going as planned. If everything is running well, it should be a relatively quick and non-invasive procedure.
Characteristics
Monitoring is about checking, observing and recording operations. It is an evidence gathering process within defined parameters. Most people would be familiar with the concept of monitoring attendance by marking a roll.
Process
- Decide what needs to be monitored and when monitoring should take place. If you are using the RTO Quality Framework or ChalkPort’s QMS, use the monitoring schedule in there as an example.
- Create a checklist of the things to be monitored. This is a work document – it does not have to be a high status artwork.
- Assign someone to do the monitoring. They use the checklist, write all over it if there are comments to be recorded and then provide feedback to the person who assigned them the task. This can be as informal, or as formal, as is appropriate for your organisation.
- Fix any major issues and make a note of changes in the Improvements register. Add any minor issues to a development or maintenance schedule.
- Scan in the completed checklist and file electronically in Quality documents: completed as it is evidence.