Quality Management System (QMS)
A quality management system is a set of interacting processes that companies use to ensure appropriate quality policies are implemented and quality objectives are identified and monitored for improvement. While the term "Process Approach" has become popularized by the ISO 9001:2000 revision of ISO 9001, this is a very old concept which almost all companies use whether they realize it or not.
Companies have many different processes, some of which affect quality of the product(s) and others which do not. However, one can argue that every process in some way affects the quality of the product as is evidenced in existing "
process approach" discussions here. A process-based QMS is simply many interacting processes.
Extending Outside the Organization
Also see:
Quality Management System (QMS)