What are the functions of Corporate Quality Assurance

[kedarg6500]

i want to know what are the functions of "Corporate Quality Assurance". how it is different than "Quality Assurance".

Kedarg6500

[Sam4Quality]

Hi Kedar:

While personally I would not want to distinguish between the two, as I feel they are more or less the same, just to answer your query, all activities related to quality assurance and management occuring at a corporate level would be called 'Corporate Quality Assurance'. Bad definition, I guess.

To make it simpler, go to the ISO 9001 standards, and find all clauses where 'top management shall' is mentioned. There are 9 of them, clearly the responsibility of Top Management - Corporate Quality Assurance!

Ciao.

[Ajit Basrur]

Originally Posted by kedarg6500

i want to know what are the functions of "Corporate Quality Assurance". how it is different than "Quality Assurance".

Kedarg6500

It depends on how your organization defines it ....

Generally, the organizations that have multiple sites have this Corporate Quality Assurance (CQA) sitting on top of the individual Plant Quality Assurance (QA).

The broad roles and responsibilities would be as follows :

RESPONSIBILITES:

1. Prepare Corporate Quality Policy
2. Undertake audits across all sites to ensure compliance on an organizational level.
3. Prepare corporate procedures to ensure standarization across al sites.

Thus, the CQA manages QA at an organizational level while the Plant QA undertake the day to day QA activities.

Hope the concept is clear

[Jennifer Kirley]

Originally Posted by Sam4Quality

Hi Kedar:

While personally I would not want to distinguish between the two, as I feel they are more or less the same, just to answer your query, all activities related to quality assurance and management occuring at a corporate level would be called 'Corporate Quality Assurance'. Bad definition, I guess.

To make it simpler, go to the ISO 9001 standards, and find all clauses where 'top management shall' is mentioned. There are 9 of them, clearly the responsibility of Top Management - Corporate Quality Assurance!

Ciao.

I fear I am becoming a cynic in not agreeing with you.

In my view it is more as Ajit has so well described it...in a functional organization. In a dysfunctional organization, Corporate Quality Assurance makes lofty plans and directives, while site Quality Assurance tries to understand what they want, how they will get it done without resources, and why they are being compared against almost completely dissimilar sites.

Sorry, I will go stand in my corner now.

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by kedarg6500

i want to know what are the functions of "Corporate Quality Assurance". how it is different than "Quality Assurance".

Kedarg6500

It would be helpful if you were to tell us why you want to know the difference--context is important. What do you think the difference is?

In general, large companies with multiple sites have one site that serves as "headquarters" for the corporation. It's the place where (irrespective of any other activities) corporate executives work, and in most cases direct the activities of the subsidiary venues. Each of those ancillary locations will likely have its own management team that answers to the higher-ups at headquarters. Thus there is likely to be a corporate finance department as well as accounting functions (payroll, accounts payable/receivable, e.g.) in the subsidiary locations. So it is (or might be) with QA. A local QA manager might report to a corporate manager/director/VP.

[Sam4Quality]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Kirley

I fear I am becoming a cynic in not agreeing with you.

In my view it is more as Ajit has so well described it...in a functional organization. In a dysfunctional organization, Corporate Quality Assurance makes lofty plans and directives, while site Quality Assurance tries to understand what they want, how they will get it done without resources, and why they are being compared against almost completely dissimilar sites.

Sorry, I will go stand in my corner now.

Yes, I think I agree with you, Ajit and Jim on the concept. I think I erred in relating 'corporate' directly with 'Top management' and used the the standards explain it .

Ciao.

[kedarg6500]

my intension to raise the topic is what are the roles & responsibilities of "Corporate Quality Assurance"

Kedarg6500

[Randy]

OK....Corporate Quality Assurrance has the responsibility to do whatever the corporate leadership requires of it...End of story

You'll have everybody here listing everything from cleaning bottles to doing open heart surgery and in the end you won't get a solid answer because it is only the boss that can define what roles and responsibilities really are and what other people think doesn't matter one bit.