Small companies often have quality management needs which differ from those of large companies. The Q‐Share scheme, administered by Polyfield Services Ltd, provides assistance in implementing quality management programmes especially tailored for the individual organisation's needs.
Small companies have limited management and financial resources and, although better quality assurance will in the longer term reduce manufacturing costs, many are intimidated by the set up and running costs of certification under an approved scheme such as BS 5750. The article describes the first year's operation of a pilot scheme intended to help small companies resolve these problems. Experienced quality managers, recruited by an academic institution and with the institution's backing, have acted as managers for a group of small companies on a shared cost basis. The experience gained from this scheme is discussed.
This paper outlines the main findings of a research study which examined the experiences of small companies in relation to approaching the BS.5750/ISO 9000 quality system series. In general, small companies are not aware of the fundamental concepts of a quality system, many of the activities outlined in BS.5750 are not practised and, even when they are, they are not documented. The main motivation for introducing a quality system which meets the requirements of BS.5750 is customer pressure. Difficulties encountered by small companies are selecting which part of the standard to apply, understanding and applying the appropriate clauses of BS.5750 to their own specific situations, and writing procedures. KEY WORDS BS.5750 Small companies Quality systems 0 1991 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.* Polyfield Services Ltd. provide a quality management consultancy service to companies of less than 500 employees. This service has been provided both independently and under the
If small manufacturing companies are to be helped in introducing new technology they need both good advice suited to their size and a temporary injection of specialist help. This can be provided by a major academic institution at a realistic cost using academic staff and newly qualified graduates working under their guidance. The case histories of attempts by seven small manufacturers to introduce new technologies, four using academic and graduate help, and the effectiveness of this approach, are described.
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