skip to content

Excellence Ireland Quality Association

 

Results Through Certification and Experience

Q Mark for Quality Management Systems

What is the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems?

The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems programme will assist you in streamlining your business; it is both operationally and customer focussed and will assist you in identifying and acting on real priorities.

The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems has been developed with businesses in mind - whether you are a multinational or small enterprise, public or private sector, a commercial business or not for profit organisation. We know that your business is unique and we have developed a network of highly qualified industry specialists to carry out our assessments based on the Quality Management Systems standard. Our assessment team's aim is to get to know you, and in the process, give you constructive feedback - not only of areas for improvement, but also areas that you are performing well in. Our reports are detailed, and using our scoring mechanism, you can track your progress year on year.

EIQA understand the need to balance compliance with innovation and the need to provide exemplary customer service whilst controlling costs. As a result the Quality Management Systems programme has been specifically designed to encompass real business needs, while incorporating the EFQM Business Excellence model to drive improvements. In developing our standards, we've listened to our customers, using their input into standards development, in just the same way as you use feedback from your customers to build and grow your organisation.

back to top

What are the key elements of the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems programme? 

The programme consists of two key elements:

  1. The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems Standard 
  2. The independent assessment

Upon completion of the assessment, the Approvals Board will review the assessor's recommendation and award Q Mark for Quality Management Systems certification to those organisations that have met the requirements of the Quality Management Systems Standard.

Q Mark for Quality Management Systems Framework

The key elements of the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems Standard are:

  • Leadership and Commitment
  • Employee Engagement
  • Excellent Business Systems and Processes
  • Customer Experience
  • Results

Within each element, core requirements are explored and identified, and we tell you from the beginning what our assessment team are looking for. Our assessment team actively support Q Mark organisations at all stages of the process whether they are beginning their quality journey or have fully developed Quality Management systems.

Assessment

The assessment is carried out by an experienced assessor by undertaking an onsite evaluation of the organisation's compliance with the requirements of the standard as well as identifying best practices and evidence of commitment to continuous improvement.

Levels of Recognition

To gain a level of recognition, an organisation must obtain an overall score of at least 550 points of the 1,000 total points available.

Level 1 - 550 - 700 Points

Level 2 - 701 - 850 Points

Level 3 - 851- 100- Points

 

back to top

Benefits of the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems

  1. Enhances customer confidence - third party certification confirms that the organisation aspires to the highest standards of quality and excellence.
  2. Eliminate inefficiencies and is used as an improvement framework for the ongoing management of processes and procedures.
  3. Demonstrates your organisation's commitment using distinctive certification and marketing material based on the most widely used framework in Ireland.
  4. Ongoing EIQA marketing and advertising campaign promotes the Q Mark brand which creates brand awareness
  5. Increases your organisation's competitive advantage
  6. Independent audits so bias is eliminated and feedback is constructive both positive actions are highlighted and areas for improvements are identified
  7. Provides the opportunity to benchmark against other organisations using the same framework, including Irish market leaders

back to top

How to take part in the programme

  1. Sign up to become a member of EIQA
  2. Decide on the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems Programme - fill out an application form and return it to EIQA
  3. Receive a copy of the Quality Management Systems Standard
  4. Implement changes to your organisation to bring it up to the required standard or introduce documentation as necessary
  5. Carry out a mock assessment (optional)
  6. Certification assessment
  7. Feedback of audit results
  8. Receive certification

back to top

Examples of Successful Organisations that have completed the Q Mark for Quality Management Systems

  • Friends First
  • Hibernian Direct Insurance
  • FÁS
  • Irish Prison Services
  • Brennan Bakeries Ltd
  • Johnston Mooney & O'Brien Bakeries Ltd
  • Carton Bros. Ltd - Processing Plant
  • Musgrave Foodservices
  • Comfort Keepers
  • Coolock Artane Credit Union

back to top

Standards and Certification