Q-Pulse enables Workflow Management by providing control facilities for the following QA functions:
Managing a quality system involves keeping track of all actions due to be addressed by a certain date. These required actions can arise from numerous functions / areas, and it can often be difficult to know which remain outstanding. Consequently it becomes difficult to keep the quality system up to date. With Q-Pulse, users can plan actions in advance and see, at a glance, their outstanding workload.
This is a major benefit over manual systems. For example, following notification of an assessment body surveillance audit, Q-Pulse users can address outstanding problems immediately without spending a couple of days searching through numerous files to identify what needs to be done.
Running a manual system is a particularly time consuming function. It is difficult to spot trends, difficult to know which problems are the most costly - and difficult to prepare adequately for due to the many permutations of analysis that can result.
Q-Pulse users benefit from standard and user defined ‘live’ reports that are automatically generated and graphically presented. These immediately highlight the areas / functions that are not performing. Q-Pulse thus turns quality records into ‘meaningful’ information, allowing the user to address areas of weakness and thereby boost efficiencies within the company or organization
Functions of ISO 9000 management which often result in considerable paperwork while operating a manual system are easily controlled utilizing Q-Pulse. All reports are automatically created following simple routines and are then available for electronic or manual transmission. No re-typing of information is required
All reports within Q-Pulse can be printed, therefore even if the user only has Q-Pulse installed on one stand alone PC they benefit from the tool. All reports normally found operating in a quality system are automatically produced by Q-Pulse and can be printed - allowing the user to communicate via "manual distribution control" to people without the computer network or e-mail system privileges.
Q-Pulse was developed by experienced Quality Assurance professionals to serve as a tool to assist QA practitioners to manage their quality system. It provides a practical approach to managing ISO 9000 rather than a "principle oriented" approach that might apply only in theory.
Q-Pulse serves as a companion to the quality representative - not as a dictator. It is easily implemented alongside your current manual system. The user simply highlights the appropriate file and Q-Pulse recognizes the appropriate application to use. Importantly, there is no need to re-write your quality system procedures or even save them in a different file format.
For those organizations with dedicated Quality Assurance staff, the time saved in chasing quality system information can be re-invested to identify improvements in performance. By analyzing errors that have occurred in the past, Q-Pulse makes it easy to identify suitable corrective and preventive actions to minimize future re-occurrence of any problems.
Q-Pulse allows the quality professional to move away from time intensive record keeping to a quality engineering role - focused on Quality Improvement and TQM.
For small companies without dedicated QA staff, the role of Q-Pulse is very important. Within a small company, any time spent chasing quality records is time that the individual is not earning money for the company. Q-Pulse allows the user to get their Quality system up to date quickly - freeing up time to concentrate on the core business.
From the moment a user logs onto Q-Pulse, the system knows the access rights of that person for each module within the product.
Each module can be assigned multiple levels of password protection - "Read / Write"; "Read Only" or "No Access" to module, tab and field level.
The security of documents / drawings / procedures is very important in systems like Q-Pulse, as is their ability to operate alongside the standard PC Applications that are used in day-to-day operation.
Documents in Q-Pulse can be accessed via your own PC Application ( Word Processor, Spreadsheets, etc.) or by Document Viewers. The choice is entirely your own preference.
The documents in Q-Pulse can be protected in a number of different ways:
At document and directory level the document remains protected whether viewed through Q-Pulse or direct via your PC Application. A document embedded in Q-Pulse’s database can only be accessed from Q-Pulse. A typical installation would find directory level protection more than adequate, however, if security is a particular concern - the embedded route with individual passwords for each document may be preferred.