Quality management systems (QMS) are intended to ensure product quality as well as possible. They encompass all activities of the overall management of a company which defines quality policies, targets and responsibilities within the QMS and implements them via quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement.
Quality management
Figure 3.155: Certificates for the TRILUX quality assurance system according to DIN EN ISO 9001
Criteria for a QMS are defined in the series of standards ISO 9000 which was developed in the 1980s to create globally uniform, cross-industry QM rules and standards. Up to that point in time, there were many national and industry-specific rules and regulations conflicting with increasing globalisation. The series of standards ISO 9000 was fully revised in 2000. One of the reasons for this was the language, which used to be too technical for service companies (e.g. care providers). Nowadays, the following standards apply:
EN ISO 9000, edition: 2015 Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary. This standard outlines the basics for quality management systems. It is intended to facilitate understanding and does not contain any QMS requirements.
EN ISO 9001, edition: 2015 Quality management systems – Requirements. This standard contains QMS requirements. In contrast to versions of the standard prior to 2000, it is currently also applicable for service providers and e.g. physicians’ practices. The 2015 revision is more process-oriented and also takes risk management into account.
EN ISO 9004, edition: 2009 Quality management systems – Guidance to achieve sustained success. This guideline can be used by companies to facilitate improvements to services and to increase customer satisfaction
TRILUX has introduced quality assurance systems (QS) for all product areas which include development, construction, purchasing, production, quality management, distribution, marketing and customer service. The target is a zero defect strategy with preventive activities, supplemented by systematic monitoring of production processes. Upon verification by licensed certification companies, it was confirmed that the TRILUX quality assurance systems fully complied with international quality standards according to EN ISO 9001. These quality assurance systems serve to ensure the quality of TRILUX indoor and outdoor luminaires including all product-related activities. This includes, among other things, spare parts supply.
Furthermore, the QS certificates document that quality systems are implemented according to international standards. Regular and successful audits by the certification companies guarantee this. For the user, these certification documents (see figure) mean additional decision security. They guarantee that relevant quality aspects are considered in the certified company.