The content of this publication is designed and structured to provide a practical methodology for those tasked with introducing a modern Quality Management System. The content is based on the next generation of Quality Management, with a keen focus on Customer Contracts, Product Compliance and Business Process Improvement - this is the next generation. All designed to feed your Business Plan and commercial direction.Our primary objective is to ensure SME business is armed with the practical tools and techniques to develop a robust Quality Management System. A system that when tested by external auditors and customers will comply with contract and legislative obligations.The information contained in this publication is designed in such a way as to give knowledge and guidance to the Quality Management System team as a whole. The idea is to provide management and technical support to new "start-up" businesses and specifically aimed at SME's. The methodologies applied throughout are aimed to deliver departmental and functional guidance for quality management and thereby performance improvement.

These requirements are based on our consultancy experience with SME clients - totalling some 700 client business. We have listened to clients and their concerns with reference to Standards; and how many of the ISO requirements imposed cause unnecessary productivity constraints and wasted management time.The point being, we propose that common sense and business managers are the primary drivers for quality management and performance improvement - not the Standard or the Certification Body. An ISO Standard is one point of reference but, only after dealing with the business of running the business first. This publication provides the foundation for the quality management system - your quality management system that will feed information and data to the management team.