Quality Manual, Plan and Standards

Documented procedures are often necessary to ensure consistency and correctness for any type of transaction. This section refers to the overall system of communicating, updating, and approving procedures. The procedures pertinent to the implementation of the quality assurance/improvement process should be compiled in a quality manual, the quality manual should be communicated throughout the organization. 

A key aspect of this quality process component is to evaluate if the people doing the job have access to and are following the established procedures. There should be a system to manage the updating of procedures, communicating the changes, and training personnel on the procedures. 

The system should assure all changes are reviewed and approved by a designated authority. All personnel need to understand their role in this updating process and whether they have authority to deviate from procedures. Formal review and update should be part of this system. 

This manual is one of the most important documents in controlling quality. 

The achievement of more effective levels of quality requires systematic planning and budgeting. There should be evidence of ongoing effort to identify variability in the quality of service and plans for improvement in areas that will have major benefits to the client. 

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EPA, 1996. U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, "OAQPS Control Cost Manual," Fifth Edition, EPA 453/B-96-001, Research Triangle Park, NC, February, 1996. 

Source From M. Barboza and N. Haymes, in Air Pollution Engineering Manual, A. Buonicore and W. Davis (Eds.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1992 and U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA), Sodium Carbonate Industry—Background Information for Proposed Standards—Draft EIS, EPA-450/3-80-029 a, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Emission Standards Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, August, 1980. With permission. 

Are the quality manual, improvement plan/ objectives and performance standards available to those who need to use them ... 

The company should have set standards for all employees to indicate the quality/safety performance expected of them. The quality manual, improvement plan and performance standards should be available to be seen by all employees. Check that this is the case... 

The standard requires systems to be in place to ensure management of appropriate activities during concept development, prototype, and production according to customer advanced product quality planning and control plan manual or project management manual. 

Standard entry, exit, and implementation requirements could be documented in an organization s quality manual. Project planners would then select those standards that are appropriate for the current project and document their decisions in a software quality assurance plan for their project. 

The standard requires the supplier to use tools and techniques identified in the customer reference manual on advanced product quality planning. 

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