Morning!

I am creating quality system in service organization and I have a chance to create Electronic Quality Manual.

Does anyone have working Electronic Quality Manual? Could you describe it? Organization, access, etc?

Thanks,

Maija

I have worked with an electronic quality manual. This was developed in word. Each section is a differet file with read only access to everyone. The manual can have its own folder on your screen and then shortcuts to each section added to the folder. In some cases only the sections a person may be interested in would have a short cut on their computer.

Rea

OK so far, I do not think, that everyone has to see all documents. And what about forms - could they be linked with databases? You pick a form, fill it in and data goes to database? I have to create a thing, that will be used at least time to time

If you're a MS Office company, you can write a database in Access. I personally prefer Filemaker Pro for smaller companies (if all you need is Access, Filemaker Pro is easier to program and is more powerful than Access). LotusNotes with Domino you can also do that with.

You can write your own database, have one specifically written for you - or there are a bunch of commercial software solutions.

I am a firm believer in databases - go for it!

Seems to me it will be LN with Domino. Actually I am interested in what kind of problems could appear - with electronic QM, people, data bases, printed out documents and so on.
And data bases are one very good thing.
Thank you, Marc!

hello Maija

Whilst any form of computer based Quality Systems is definitely the way to go, when you ask what sort of problems can occur, i could write a novel on this. ie

How do you stop people filling in forms, and then storing them on their own personal corners of a computer system. (Show next to the document name the saving method and location).

How do you make sure when people create new forms that they have a similar style and layout, and conform to the standard. (Create a 'Base Form' which people adapt to suit their requirements, but the important header and title data stays always the same).

How do you ensure people are working with latest issue documents if they can print them out. (Arrange for Uncontrolled Copy' to appear automatically on each print-out).

etc etc

I could go on, do you have any specific questions.



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Andy B

Our level 1 & 2's are kept on the lan. In 4.5 I state that the only way to consider a document as controlled is to have our company logo in color, if it is in black and white it is to be considered to be a reference only. The logo does not appear on any of these level 1 or 2 procedures, only on the paper that I copy them to
Dean Hill

Saw this old thread and thought I would try and invoke an up to date response.

I am keen to establish whether anymore of you are using an electronic copy of your quality manual?

If so, what software have you used, how is it navigated, what benefits does it offer over the hard copy system?

Is it exciting, does it move the earth?

I have been tasked with making our quality manual electronic, and want to avoid simply compiling all of our "Word" documents into one big .pdf. I want it to be dynamic, and highly usable from the ground up....I want the most junior of staff, right up to the CEO to be able to use it (Ok maybe the CEO is a bit ambitious, he has trouble turning his PC on!) It has to at least appear to move mountains or it will just get poo poo'd like a lot of stuff designed for the 21st century user is around here!

I am really keen to keep exploring Access but just wondered how this could be used to implement such manual!? Marc, I note you say that File Maker Pro is more powerful than Access, why? I have tried the Demo of filemaker pro and found it to be a nicer looking Access database?

Any input would be greatly appreciated, as I see this as a large step in me inheriting the control of the QMS, this is my initiation if you like, so no pressure :o !

I am linked to an organisation who produce an application to help deliver documentation electronically via an Internet Browser. I won't post their name on here as that might seem like advertising but please send me a PM if you want their details.

It has all sorts of benefits including being available as a web-based application meaning that you don't have to have it loaded on your PC/laptop - you just need an Internet connection and you can access your system from anywhere in the world.

It makes document control very easy as you can set authorisation paths which won't budge until a document has been reviewed. It also has an audit manager module and a calibration module available. You could do it yourself but I suggest checking out a few commercial packages first.

I recently worked with an auditor who is pretty well known in the ASQ world, and he says he is seeing more companies creating a one page quality manual for 9001 by using hyperlinks to all the appropriate documents for the quality system. It sounded like they were doing it in MS Word or Powerpoint with hyperlinks. You could do this via an intranet-type web page format, too.

--QG

HI.

I created an electronic manual, on our intranet using frontPage, Word, Excel, Viso, InfoPath, Access and SQL

This broke down into
Ms Word for the basic documents.
Viso for the charting
InforPath for the forms
and the access database to scan the Inforpath forms for reporting
SQL was used on the inforpath forms for auto numbering.

I then put this into a Ms FrontPage web template to give a rounded and complete feel to the QMS.

InfoPath is very useful if used correctly, I have set this up so that each time a form is opened it will look for the master copy on our intranet to check for changes so that even if a user has a local copy of the infopath form all new changes will be shown each time the form is used.

I used the InfoPath forms as a control method for certain processes, (ones prone to go $%^&*) I have set the system up so that each time a form is used (both through the website and where forms are held locally) it will bcc a specified email account (allowing those out of the office, working from home or on the road to use the forms without needing to be online, these forms are emailed when next connected to our network)

Ms access scans this email account and imports the data contained in the form thereby creating a comprehensive yet flexible reporting tool. this all then sits inside a FrontPage website.

Hope this helps

We have put a copy of our certificate, the quality manual and all documented procedures on our intranet in PDF format that will "watermark" any of the items with "Uncontrolled Document" when printed out.

It works well for us to have the Quality Policy up on all shop floor PC's during the audit; nobody has to try to guess at what it says.:notme:

HI.

I created an electronic manual, on our intranet using frontPage, Word, Excel, Viso, InfoPath, Access and SQL

This broke down into
Ms Word for the basic documents.
Viso for the charting
InforPath for the forms
and the access database to scan the Inforpath forms for reporting
SQL was used on the inforpath forms for auto numbering.

I then put this into a Ms FrontPage web template to give a rounded and complete feel to the QMS.

InfoPath is very useful if used correctly, I have set this up so that each time a form is opened it will look for the master copy on our intranet to check for changes so that even if a user has a local copy of the infopath form all new changes will be shown each time the form is used.

I used the InfoPath forms as a control method for certain processes, (ones prone to go $%^&*) I have set the system up so that each time a form is used (both through the website and where forms are held locally) it will bcc a specified email account (allowing those out of the office, working from home or on the road to use the forms without needing to be online, these forms are emailed when next connected to our network)

Ms access scans this email account and imports the data contained in the form thereby creating a comprehensive yet flexible reporting tool. this all then sits inside a FrontPage website.

Hope this helps

That does sound like a good solution and I have been looking into MS Infopath to see how useful it would be. I am not sure it would be that valid in my organisation as we are pretty small <25 staff. I think data could be captured just using the form tool in Access.

However, I have been looking at Visio and wondering if I could define processes in Access (Functional Involvement, Tasks, related documents, whether a person has to do something or just simply reviews something......etc ) and then export the output to Visio who would then draw me my flow chart, with all the relevatn links and information? I have had a quick play with Visio, but can't seem to get anything out of it. Is this something Visio is capable of? Bascially it would be looking at linked data and visualising it.

I would be interested if anyone does something simliar using the office suite.

What I am trying to acheive is to have a managment system that is documented for external reference, so that people can visualise the processes and see the interactions, but also a place where data can be entered into it and reported upon. For example, someone wants to know the correct way to record and process an NCM. They have the process mapped out in front of them and they can then click a link to the forms they need to fill in, which will then enter the database and be reported as part of the management reporting system we have.

Hi

Sorry, Don;t know how to automate creating process maps, but what I have created in Visio and broken these down into steps/stages, i.e sales stage, order processing stage, distribution stage, and then hyperlinked appropriate files into the map, some PDF's, some Infopath forms, work instructions, I have created some SLA's that point to charting software etc. So they are not simply a process map, but a live interactive map of the each stage. I;ve then hyperlinked each stage together, and the output in then exported in web format.

Staff then have a visual process to follow, that they can interact with. With the templates I have created the managers I work with are now happy to create their own Visio process maps that link into the system,

Hope this helps

Nick

Thanks Nick,

Yeah I think I may follow that route too, having my process maps and hyperlinking information, forms etc... I would like to upload this onto out Intranet, but that is another topic in itself!

I will see what I can do, I don't even have Visio yet, just trying to gauge whether it is worth investing in it.

Thanks

Hi

Visio is a great tool, perhaps downloading a demo copy from microsoft will geve you an idea of what the tool can do prior to purchasing a copy.

If you have an intranet, and need a quick and dirty way of testing how this will work for staff I would create a folder with read permissions set for all, so when I export a web based copy I would save it there, then hyperlink through your intranet. If you don't have an intranet, I would still consider using the network folder and send the links out via email. Very quick and dirty, but at least you'd know if the visio approach works for your users.

Good luck

Nick

I changed ours over to digital 6 years ago. It is now a mixture of HTML & Word documents. Flow-charts are done with Word and glossed to include details needed. All linked together using a "Start" web page with a drop-down menu. Works very well. Most of our WI's are word for ease of changes. Not everyone is HTML savvy even with WYSIWYG editors. :agree1:

I am not connected to this company so no conflict of interest.
We use Lotus Notes for our e-mail and so the software described at http://www.ibs-us.com/products/QSi_system.asp works well for us.

Our Quality Manual is just another of the controlled documents in the system. Since there is an audit trail attached and permissions can be granted as desired, it works well. Notes makes it possible for you to attach documents in your desired format so you do not even have to depend on pdf.

The best part is that the software is modular so you can use the parts you want now and adopt the other parts later. Hope this helps.

Hi

Visio is a great tool, perhaps downloading a demo copy from microsoft will geve you an idea of what the tool can do prior to purchasing a copy.

If you have an intranet, and need a quick and dirty way of testing how this will work for staff I would create a folder with read permissions set for all, so when I export a web based copy I would save it there, then hyperlink through your intranet. If you don't have an intranet, I would still consider using the network folder and send the links out via email. Very quick and dirty, but at least you'd know if the visio approach works for your users.

Good luck

Nick


Thanks Nick. I have a quick question. Are your forms browser enabled forms?

I ask because looking at the help files in Infopath and it states that I cannot create a data link to an Access database if the form is browser enabled, which scuppers my original design idea of having HTML process maps, with links to browser enabled Infopath forms, which the user can then submit data on and this data will then update a database?

Visio is pretty good, just mapping stuff out now in the trial version. Thanks again.

Hi

Does anyone have a quality manual specifically for the gas utility market?

I second the HTML route with Word Documents embedded for all to see. Ours are broken down into SOP's, Process Instructions, and General Work Instructions. Our IT Dept. has made this such a friendly pick and play system (Pull downs for all categories, etc), that everyone from the people on the shop floor to the CEO love it, and the protection and traceability that this type of system offers is second to none!!! Get a good programmer (spend the money) and let him be creative - when he is done with your Electronic "QMS" have him jump right into Corrective Action and Non-Conforming product logs and integrate them into a Intranet Browser that the whole company can utilize.
You won't regret it.

Our Manual went electronic back in 1998. This was accomplished using Lotus Notes - link provided by a previous poster - which is our document control software.

Hi

Does anyone have a quality manual specifically for the gas utility market?

Typically, if the manual repeats the standard and does nothing else, I would think any Quality Manual would suffice. However, as the move now seems to be towards integrated manuals (i.e., my site's meets the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISRS, Sarbanes-Oxley and our Business System requirements), it may be more difficult to find one that applies specifically to your industry.

There are examples of quality manuals here in the Cove which may be a great starting point for you. :) Try some of the links at the bottom of this thread.

We also use lotus notes, one thing i like about is the approval process of a doc.

With eletronic sigs. based on your log in and access rights.

DaMann

Hi

Does anyone have a quality manual specifically for the gas utility market?


Please, create your own. Don't appropriate someone else's. Design one that is right for you. It works better.

Can anyone suggest me about the software for Controlling Manual and other mandatory documents

Can anyone suggest me about the software for Controlling Manual and other mandatory documents

Look here (http://www.google.com/custom?domains=Elsmar.com&q=Document+control+software&sa=Search&sitesearch=Elsmar.com&client=pub-1385417534940691&forid=1&channel=6124086287&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A000099%3BALC%3A000000%3BLC%3A000000%3BT%3A0000FF%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BLH%3A50%3BLW%3A350%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Felsmar.com%2Fpng%2Fheader-G-search.png%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2FElsmar.com%2FForums%2F%3BFORID%3A1%3B&hl=en).

Stijloor.