Quality management is a necessary function in any organization for the improvement in efficiency of organizational processes. Through quality management systems, a firm is able to attain good customer satisfaction, improved value in the supply chain, increased performance, and improved employee morale in customer awareness & satisfaction. According to Owlia (1997, pp. 527-543), during the quality management systems implementation phase, firms experience challenges, which at times may lead to failure in implementation of otherwise good systems. As a result, the organization is unable to reap the maximum benefits from the proposed improvements in organizational processes. The management has to look for the best way/method to transform the proposed policy documents in quality management into efficient practice throughout the firm. This paper will examine the possible developments and improvements that will increase the chances of success in implementation.
For an admission policy, an organization has to put in place the best quality management systems that will make admissions easier for the customers (students and the admission staff). The use of ISO 9001:2008 model offers a good support for guidelines in the use of the policy as well as implantation. The staff and management require a clear guideline that will direct them in execution of the policy with minimal errors and high chances of success. ISO 9001:2008 offers such a support through constant monitoring of the systems and regular inspections to ensure that they work according to plan. According to Hutchins (1993), a certification body will carry out an audit to check out whether the firm has observed all the protocols and guidelines laid out for an ISO 9001:2008 Certification. This improves the chances of success in the implementation of the system in any tertiary institution.
A good admission system should possess a mark of quality to both the institution users and those that the institution aims to attract. Therefore, the quality management system put in place to improve the admission process should strive for consistency, fitness for purpose, value for money and transformation. By achieving these features during and after implementation, the educational institution will raise the bar of success in improving the admission process. According to Srivanci (2004, pp. 382-386), the attribute of Consistency in quality management focuses on setting up a culture of excellence in performance and setting up of measurement standards. The challenge lies in achieving consistent results and adherence to the set standards. Constant employee training and motivation program will guarantee success in the implementation of the system.
In as much as the admission policy system is as good as it may look, it will not succeed if its purpose is not in line with customer satisfaction through automation and simplification of the admission process. According to Bounds (1994), Conducting, a feasibility survey to ensure that the system is fit for purpose will increase the chances of success during implementation. Finally, by making sure that the admission system in place gives back the value of money (the cost of setting up and implementation), management should ensure that it achieves organizational transformation through efficiency and effectiveness in the organization.
Having noticed that many challenges face the implementation phase, the implementation team has to be creative and strict in observing the implementation process guidelines. According to Bain (2010), it has to understand all the spheres that affect the implementation process since the success of a quality management system depends on how well the team will handle the dynamics of the implementation process. For a good chance of success, the implantation team should understand and execute all the dimensions of implementation illustrated in the diagram below.
Quality management content has a huge impact on the competitiveness and performance of systems. Management has to do with what is necessary for successful implementation of the system. Such components include policies, strategic plans, and management/leadership. Other System management content includes the purpose, targets, procedures, policy guidelines, and the performance measurement standards. According to Collins (1998, P.30), there is need for a clear definition of the content of quality management for specification and for measurability.
One can define the content of management either normatively or empirically. Van de Ven (1992, p. 191) notes that for an admission quality management, clear normative definition in terms of fitness for purpose, conformity to basic requirements, economic value, practicality, and net benefit to the target customer will go a long way in improving the chances of success in implementation. According to Bisgaard (2000, P.295), Empirical definitions are also important in determining the direction and the rate of success during implementation. They include quantifiable measures such as the cost of putting up the process, market share and the usable period.
In content quality management, the implementation team should orient the admission process to suit the needs of the students as well as the admission staff. The admission process orientation is a tool for quality assurance as well as a success factor in implementing the system. Orientation serves in channeling the product or system towards the advantage of the customer and users internally and externally. Orientation strategy should go beyond traditional orientation processes such as inspection orientation, process orientation, system orientation, and chain orientation. The implementation team has to widen its perspective and implement a total quality orientation.
Content management covers both the organizational and external cultural factors that affect the success of an implementation process. This is an important aspect of implementation process since it touches on people’s culture through introduction of new ways of doing things and thinking in the organization. According to Abraham (1999, p. 112), the implementation team has to understand the existing organizational and national culture that is likely to influence the success of the implementation process. It has to anticipate resistance, mitigate it and device means and methods of introducing change to the organization with minimal resistance.
In implementing an admission management system, the team charged with the task can manage anxiety that comes with anticipation of cultural changes by creating awareness among the employees. According to Ahire (1998, p.57), they should make them understand that the process is there to simplify and improve the efficiency of their performance and not to victimize them. The team should go ahead about implementing the new admission policy, which will boost their morale and encourage positive response to the new system. According to Schneider (1997), by creating common and shared cultural value of improvement, the organization’s admission process will make it possible to achieve the expected results. All this is achievable through proper communication structures among all stakeholders.
Implementation process concerns itself with the distinctive actions and procedures in turning a policy concept into a daily practice in the organization. It is the procedure of creating awareness, a good understanding, knowledge, and decisive actions to implement a quality management procedure. The procedure will combine external and internal resources to ensure that implementation succeeds. For the admission system to work, the school must employ an expert technical team to support the system. Training and employee empowerment is among the procedural factors that will lead to the success of the implementation.
Adherence to the above mentioned strategies together with ISO 9001:2008 Policy implementation guidelines will help the organization achieve success in implementing the quality management system. The advantages that will accrue due to implementation of the above mentioned model includes access to well-documented procedures that will ensure consistency unlike other models. This is because the ISO 9001 provides constant basis and means of quality measurement, which enables organizations to know how they are performing in implementation of the documented procedures.
When compared to other models such as EFQM, ISO 9001:2008, certifications are internationally recognized measures of ascertaining quality in organizations. This will improve the credibility of the admission procedures and that of the educational institute unlike other institutes that lack credibility due to implementation of inferior or unpopular models. The increase in operational efficiency due to the adoption of the model will reduce the overall cost of the procedure. Other benefits include the elimination of obsolete processes, increase in admissions due to high credibility and finally an increase in customer satisfaction.
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