Imagine watching your favorite movie one evening.
Just as the plot thickens, the story abruptly halts, forcing you to switch to another streaming service to continue. Soon you realize that each time the story focuses on a different character, you have to switch services again. You might think to yourself, “This is the streaming experience from hell. Where do I have to go to see the whole picture?”
PLM and QMS: Two Threads in the Same Story
The lifecycle of any product design is a story too. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
From concept to design through to production and even end of life, various elements intertwine, forming a comprehensive narrative of the product’s evolution.
One major thread that runs through the entire product story is quality. It is key. If you don’t have quality records in the same field of view as your product record you simply aren’t seeing the whole picture.
Being able to clearly see and understand previous quality issues and their resolutions ensures that lessons learned will lead to a better-designed product.
Integration with the Product Record and Deviation Processes
How many times have you seen underperforming components or product designs carried through into next-generation products?
Linking your quality management system and product record enables engineers to promptly identify all issues associated with any specific part or design. This integration enhances efficiency and facilitates proactive problem-solving.. This integration allows for a comprehensive view of product-related issues in real time. Clear visibility into past quality issues and their resolutions ensures that lessons learned contribute to improved product design. This understanding fosters continuous improvement and drives product excellence.
Linking corrective and preventative actions (CAPA) records to deviations, non-conformances, and changes in your PLM system provides traceability. It ensures interim fixes are tracked while long-term solutions are developed and implemented..
All supporting documentation is just a click away, instead of having to weed through multiple systems to gather all the information that a design or quality engineer might need.
Sticking to one platform provides continuity for both record-keeping purposes and for the user experience.
Communication & Participation
Making sure your users can easily communicate and participate easily is an essential element of a successful quality management systems (QMS) story. Your PLM system already provides a familiar space for collaboration and work processing.
In Oleg Shilovitsky’s blog, “Why Quality Management Can Be Low Hanging Fruit for Cloud PLM”, he points out:
“PLM and QMS are both valuable solutions, but together can result in significant data and process duplication. The most practical way for most companies to get a single, rationalized quality management and PLM solution is to leverage PLM to support quality along with product innovation, product development, and engineering processes.”
Sticking to one platform provides continuity for both record-keeping purposes and for the user experience. Most PLM software now includes quality processes either within the main application or available as a separate option.
Leveraging an existing system with wide user adoption can offer significant benefits. This is particularly advantageous when concurrently overhauling your business processes.. Sticking with a familiar UI can make process changes easier to roll out to resistant process participants.
Every user across the entire platform shares the same information, although it can also be restricted if necessary. Reporting can be configured to ensure that all data consumers, whether a process participant, a manager, or an executive, receive the information they require when needed. It’s presented in a manner that suits their specific job function.
Process Neutral Flexibility
Your company may have standardized on an 8D (Eight Disciplines Problem Solving), a lean Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) practice, or you may use a homegrown approach to quality. Your quality management system business processes are specific to your company operations, your departmental structure, and your product.
You need software that gives you the flexibility to manage work according to your requirements.
Most PLM systems are configurable enough to not lock you into a process methodology that is unsuitable for your industry, quality goals, or corporate culture.
Extendibility
Many PLM solutions are highly adaptable and allow you to add automation to make routine processes easier and more efficient.
An experienced PLM partner can help you better understand the reporting and process improvements that can be implemented by extending beyond your PLM’s out-of-the-box capabilities.
In short, if you feel your separate business platforms lack integration, consider exploring your PLM’s quality option. It might just provide the plot twist that leads your quality management system search to a successful ending.
For a limited time, Domain Systems is offering a complimentary PLM health check here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Domain Systems. The author takes full responsibility for the views expressed here.
[…] issues and resolutions within the product record. Additionally, provides visibility and manage product quality through closed-loop corrective action […]