Overview

A Quality Management System (QMS) can be defined as ‘collective policies, plans, practices, and the supporting infrastructure by which an organisation aims to reduce and eventually eliminate non-conformance to specifications, standards, and customer expectations in the most cost effective and efficient manner’ (BusinessDictionary.com, 2009).

As stated in the Quality Audit Policy the QMS of an organisation is therefore made up of a set of interrelated components that define and determine how quality objectives are achieved. This means that the way an institution operates in order to fulfil its mission and objectives are an integral part of how a QMS is designed, developed and implemented. These interconnecting elements, according to the International Organisation for Standardisation, are the organisational structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes, and resources.

For UTT, the QMS encompasses all the systems that make up its management structure and function, teaching and learning, support structure, facilities, and resources.

An effective quality management system is one that includes a process of continuous evaluation to determine the effectiveness of its implementation and maintenance. This constant evaluation is also fundamental to identifying opportunities for improvement. UTT’s commitment to ensuring that there are checks and balances in place to determine the effectiveness of the elements/components that comprise the institution’s QMS is evident in the Quality Audit Policy.

QMS - Levels of Documentation

The university’s quality management system consists of five levels of documentation. These are as follows:

LEVEL 1
Quality Manual
The QMS is described in the university’s Quality Manual and in the associated documents referred to in the manual. The quality manual states the quality policy of the university, identifies the university’s commitment to quality, describes the quality system, and processes involved in implementation of the system, and makes reference to more detailed information in the corresponding quality system procedures.

Currently the quality manual is in draft form and feedback from stakeholders is being solicited. The draft manual can be viewed using the link below:

Policies and Regulations
The policies and regulations are Board of Governs’ approved documents, and these guide the university in the achievement of its mandate.

LEVEL 2
Quality System Procedures
The quality system procedures are procedures that all sections across the university must adhere to where applicable. These procedures define how the institution complies with its quality mandate and responsibilities. They may make reference to other procedures, forms, charts, and records.

LEVEL 3
Procedures at the Centre/Department/Unit level
These procedures are applicable to the activities carried out by a specific centre/department/unit. They may also make reference to other procedures, forms, charts, and records.

LEVEL 4
Work Instructions
These are very detailed instructions on how to carry out a specific task and usually relates to one position’s job function.

LEVEL 5
Forms, Charts, Records
These are all linked to the actions specified in the documents at Levels 1-4. Records provide documented evidence of the implementation of such actions.

Document Control

Document control is a process established to set the controls for the approval, revision and distribution of documents throughout the organisation. For UTT, the process applies to all documents the fall under the purview of the QMS.

Document control involves the identification of each document by the document title, document number, revision number, and revision date. The system thus ensures that only approved current versions of documents are in circulation. These documents are controlled by the Document Control Administrator using a Document Master List in accordance with the Procedure for Document Control.

Documenting Procedures/Work Instructions

In an effort to standardise the documentation of procedures across the university, the Procedure for Documenting Quality Systems Procedures/Work Instructions was circulated to all centres/departments/units. The following templates were also developed to assist in this university-wide initiative:

• Template for Procedures
• Template for work Instructions
• Template for Forms.