8 Reasons You Should Care About Your Vendor’s Quality Management System

If you manage a card program, whether it is gift cards, loyalty cards, copay cards or membership cards, you want to be assured that your brand is represented well with a high-quality card. In this sense, high-quality refers to both the physical characteristics as well as the accuracy of the information printed/encoded onto the card. Consistent, high-quality products come from vendors that have invested in a quality management system within their production process.  Why? Because quality management systems, or a QMS, help to eliminate mistakes and improve efficiencies, ultimately leading to a better end product.

In my last article, I discussed what a quality management system is and how it can improve products.  But what are the benefits of a quality management system?  And how does it affect you and your card program? And why should you care?

Below are eight features of using a quality management system, and how they benefit you:

1.  Improves organizational culture.
A QMS provides clear objective, priorities and expectations for all employees, at all levels of our company.  The importance of every individual is communicated and employees are empowered to own and continually improve each process.  Understanding that they play a significant role in achieving quality requirements, helps to lift employee morale and improve productivity and accuracy. A good QMS begins with top management and is communicated down throughout the entire company.

Benefit to you: Every employee that touches your product understands the agreed upon specifications and standards you expect for the final outcome.

 2.  Provides consistency across all processes
By defining and documenting all processes, each procedure is standardized and performed in a consistent manner.

Benefit to you: Accurate products, peace-of-mind.

3.  Helps to easily transition employees
Since all processes are standardized and documented, it takes less time to train new employees or transfer existing employees into a new position. For our clients, this means that their projects will be completed accurately and on time.

Benefit to you:  Accurate products delivered when you expect them.

4.  Helps to constantly improve processes and products
With structured systems in place, such as our corrective action program, we are able to identify, correct and improve processes, which lead to a better end product for our clients.

Benefit to you: Superior products & programs that keep getting better.

 5.  Improves efficiency
By establishing processes, it is easier for employees to follow the guidelines, resulting in improved time management and less waste of resources.

Benefit to you: Smooth-running program at a reasonable cost.

 6.  Improves customer satisfaction
Increased efficiency, consistency and a high-quality end product will lead to improved customer satisfaction.

Benefit to you:  Happiness in knowing that you will receive your product as expected.

7.  Encourages customer feedback
We learn a lot from our customers through their feedback, as it provides us with an opportunity to grow and improve together.  A good QMS encourages communication with customers.  Understanding our customer’s needs, expectations and experiences helps to shape program requirements and processes and lead to a better product down the road.

Benefit to you:  We are a part of your team, not just a supplier.

8.  Higher quality product
The goal of a QMS is to provide overall improved customer satisfaction and nothing does that better than a quality end product.  Consistency, efficiency and removing the chance for error help to ensure a better end product. Period.

Benefit to you:  A quality card that represents your quality brand well.

As you can see, the use of a quality management system is beneficial for both you and your card vendor.  By establishing standards and protocols, mistakes are greatly reduced and/or eliminated from the equation, and both time and money are saved. So the next time you shop around for a card vendor, make sure they are using a quality management system that will ensure a fantastic end product…and provide you with peace of mind.