No one wants to buy a product that has serious defects, particularly with all of the technology these days making it easy to achieve high levels of precision. That being said, humans and robots do tend to make mistakes, and your reputation for quality can make or break you as a manufacturer. So, what exactly does this entail? 🤔
Here at Method CRM, we’ve been supporting QuickBooks-based businesses since 2010. Method is loved by business owners in the manufacturing industry for its real-time, two-way QuickBooks sync, and end-to-end sales automation. In this guide, we’ll break down how to assess and maintain quality in your manufacturing process, and some dos and don’ts that you should consider when analyzing your whole operation. 🏭
Table of Contents
What is manufacturing quality management? 🧐
Manufacturing quality management is the process that manufacturers use to make sure all products meet defined specifications. It can also assess if the products are made efficiently or if there are things that can be optimized. It includes things like processes, documentation, metrics, audits, and improvements that ensure every product will be made the same way, with the same specifications.
In manufacturing, you want to be known for high-quality products, and when dealing with quality issues, the following terms will be front and center.
- Quality management system (QMS): The processes, procedures, and records that maintain quality.
In practice: Controlled documents, inspections, audits, nonconformances, and CAPA follow defined workflows. - Total quality management (TQM): A philosophy focused on continuous improvement, employee engagement, and customer focus.
Within that framework, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) handle execution. QA focuses on prevention through standards, training, validation, and control plans. QC focuses on detection through inspections, testing, sampling, and final checks. A simple way to think about it: QA works upstream, QC works downstream.
QA vs. QC:
- Quality assurance (QA) — Prevents defects through standards, training, validation, control plans, and risk reviews.
- Quality control (QC) — Detects defects through inspections, sampling, testing, and final checks before shipping.
Simple rule: QA is proactive (prevent), QC is reactive (detect). You need to include both to be solid with Manufacturing Quality Control.
Why manufacturing quality management matters 💡
The importance of maintaining high quality standards in manufacturing cannot be overstated. You want to offer a product that works first and foremost, as well as the following:
It supports regulatory compliance and industry standards (including ISO 9001)
Compliance is really important, particularly in developed markets like the EU, North America, and Australia, which tend to have more regulation. Many will abide by ISO 9001, which is the international standard for quality management systems. A solid quality management system can make audits much easier and eliminate much of the work involved in dealing with various government bureaucracies.
It improves business outcomes like profitability and on-time delivery
Quality problems quickly become schedule problems. Rework and scrap consume capacity, delay shipments, and increase costs. A strong system lowers the cost of poor quality (COPQ) and helps keep delivery predictable.
Core components of a quality management system ⚙️
A QMS doesn’t need to be an overcomplicated labyrinth of processes and oversight; it can be executed in a few simple steps.
1. Quality planning & objectives
The first part is to understand what the targets or objectives you are aiming for are. For example, if you manufacture sneakers and there is constantly negative feedback regarding the insoles of your footwear, this could be an objective for you to fix. It could also include measurable objectives aligned with customer and regulatory requirements, such as first pass yield or scrap rate targets. For example, if a manufacturer sets a first-pass yield target of 98% and a scrap rate below 2%, aligning those goals with customer quality agreements and ISO 9001 requirements ensures performance can be tracked and audited.
Many smaller or medium-sized shops will have goals and objectives, but are not sure how to implement them into everyday workflows. They need to think about both the goals and the objectives, as well as the controls that facilitate them. Again, let’s take the example of the defective insoles inside the sneakers. Without having an idea of the controls in the process, how do you know if it’s a production problem or an engineering one, and how can you determine which step of the process is causing problems?
2. Document control and workflows
Document control is also an important part of the whole process because it delineates processes and governs all of the workflows. For example, if one of your workflow stations has old work instructions and instructs you to use products that haven’t been readily available for decades, then that could cause some serious confusion. Make sure you check the following documents:
| Document type | Why it matters | Common failure in spreadsheets |
| Work instructions / SOPs | Ensures consistent execution | Old versions circulate; changes aren’t tracked |
| Inspection plans | Defines what to measure and when | Checks drift; accountability is unclear |
| Control plans | Links risks to controls | Plans don’t update when processes change |
| Training records | Proves competence | Hard to show who was trained and when |
At Method, QuickBooks based manufacturers often use customized approval workflows to manage work instructions after quality issues. Instead of emailing PDFs or relying on shared folders, updated instructions can be reviewed, approved, and distributed through Method so teams are working from the same version. This gives managers confidence during audits that the right process was followed.
3. Audits & checkpoints
Audits are the confirmation that is needed to make sure the processes are followed and are actually working. Only then will the product meet customer expectations. Whether it be internal audits or external audits, the goal is to eliminate any issues as soon and as fast as possible. Checkpoints, such as incoming inspection, first-article checks, in-process inspections, and final tests, catch issues before they ship.
Method can significantly help with the above by embedding inspections, approvals, and corrective actions directly into day-to-day work. Incoming inspections, in process checks, and final approvals can be captured as structured data tied to orders and jobs. When audit time comes, evidence is already organized and traceable because it was collected as the work happened, not recreated afterward.
4. Corrective and preventive actions
Corrective and preventive action (CAPA) turns quality issues into fixes that actually last. When a defect or complaint occurs, CAPA defines how the root cause is investigated so that actions can be taken to rectify it.
| CAPA step | What “good” looks like | Output |
| Containment | Stop the impact quickly | Disposition decision + traceability |
| Root cause analysis | Identify the true driver | Root cause statement + evidence |
| Corrective action | Fix the cause | Change record + proof |
| Preventive action | Reduce recurrence risk | Updated controls + monitoring |
| Effectiveness check | Confirm results over time | Closed CAPA |
5. Risk management and control plans
Risk management helps manage the risk of failure and its consequences, as there is always a risk that there will be some scrap. For example, a manufacturer will identify a high risk of defects during a manual assembly step, so they add a control plan that requires a first-piece check and a documented in-process inspection every 25 units. If a measurement falls outside tolerance, then production pauses, and a corrective action is triggered before scrap or rework spreads downstream.
Quality metrics & dashboards 📊
There are several different metrics that go into quality assessment and quality control. They are hard data points that paint a picture as to what is going on with the quality of the product. Below are some common metrics that all manufacturers should be familiar with.
| Metric | What it tells you | Why it matters |
| Defect rate | How often defects occur | Tracks stability and process variation |
| Scrap rate | Material lost due to defects | Direct margin impact; reveals waste |
| First pass yield (FPY) | % completed without rework | Measures true process capability |
| Rework hours | Labor spent fixing issues | Steals capacity and delays shipments |
| Cost of poor quality (COPQ) | Total cost of defects | Connects quality to finance and profitability |
You should always be aware of these numbers, and the best way to do that is to have easy-to-see dashboards. When integrated with QuickBooks, Method lets teams track quality related data alongside jobs, inventory, and costs. Defects, scrap, and rework can be captured as part of day-to-day operations and tied back to the transactions that hit the P&L.
ISO 9001 and international standards ✅
ISO 9001 is a widely recognized quality standard that encourages manufacturers to abide by certain systems and processes to ensure quality. ISO inspired practices improve general credibility, which is very important when dealing with the global supply chain, but they also help the manufacturer’s business as a whole. ISO standards require businesses to strengthen daily operations by improving documentation, structuring corrective actions, and increasing visibility into quality trends. So, in short, while ISO 9001 is often required for other entities and individuals to trust you, abiding by those standards can be a huge boon for the business operations as well.
Best practices for quality control and assurance 📋
Quality best practices are simple in concept: define standards clearly, verify at the right points, and remove variation over time. The challenge is execution, getting practices out of binders and into daily operations.
Establish quality checkpoints
Focus inspections where risk is highest.
- Incoming material inspection, first-piece verification, and final testing
- Avoids over-inspection while catching issues that drive scrap and returns
Employee training & work instructions
Make quality repeatable, not tribal.
- Clear, version-controlled instructions reduce guesswork
- Prevents reliance on undocumented know-how
Use automation strategically
Reduce errors and bottlenecks.
- Digital checklists, task routing, and alerts create consistency
- Exposes deviations early so teams can act fast
Implementing QMS software & automation 💻
A QMS tool should make quality easier to run. The right platform helps you track issues, control documents, manage audits, and execute CAPA with clear accountability. For small to mid-sized manufacturers, the goal is operationalization: quality processes run in the same rhythm as production, purchasing, and fulfillment.
| Capability | Why it matters | What it prevents |
| Nonconformance tracking | Standardizes how issues are logged and resolved | Lost issues, inconsistent responses, repeat defects |
| CAPA workflows | Enforces root cause, ownership, and verification | Email threads, vague fixes, no effectiveness checks |
| Document control | Keeps procedures current and auditable | Old SOPs, uncontrolled edits, training gaps |
| Real-time alerts | Speeds response when quality drifts | Late detection, large scrap batches, customer impact |
| Dashboards & visualization | Makes trends visible to leadership | Reactive management, surprises in audits and shipments |
Continuous improvement in quality management 📈
Quality management isn’t something you do once and move on from. It requires ongoing attention and improvement. And if you’re not doing it well, your competitors likely are. For SMBs, quality improvement works best when it’s practical and repeatable, built around short feedback loops and simple routines like quick quality huddles and regular CAPA checks.
Manufacturing quality management in mission-critical industries 👩🏻⚕️
In mission critical sectors like aerospace and medical devices, quality related issues carry higher stakes and heavier documentation requirements. Teams need stronger traceability, clearer audit trails, and tighter controls around changes, approvals, and supplier data. Method does not replace a formal QMS, but it gives these businesses a flexible system to connect quality related workflows, customer orders, and supplier records directly to QuickBooks.
Common challenges and solutions 🎯
Even manufacturers with strong intent run into predictable obstacles when implementing quality management systems. The solutions are rarely about “trying harder.” They’re about designing processes that actually fit work in real life.
| Challenge | What it looks like | Practical solution |
| Resistance to change | Teams avoid new forms, don’t log issues, or treat audits as “quality’s job” | Start with the biggest pain point (e.g., CAPA) and make the workflow simpler than the current workaround |
| Compliance vs efficiency tension | Documentation feels like bureaucracy and slows production | Use streamlined templates and automation so evidence is captured in the flow of work, not after the fact |
| Siloed quality data | Inspection data, NCRs, and corrective actions live in different tools | Centralize records and integrate with operational systems so teams share one source of truth |
| Weak root cause analysis | Same defects repeat with different “quick fixes” | Standardize RCA methods (5 Whys, fishbone) and require effectiveness checks before closing CAPAs |
| Audit panic | Teams scramble to find documents and prove controls | Build audit readiness into routine workflows (document control, training records, inspection logs) |
Bottom line: Manage the quality, reap the rewards 💬
Manufacturing quality management is not just a compliance exercise; it’s a system that protects margins and builds customer trust and customer satisfaction. Most manufacturers don’t fail at quality because they lack standards. They fail because quality processes live in silos, spreadsheets, or disconnected tools. The path forward is operationalization: make quality management processes part of the daily rhythm of production, purchasing, and fulfillment.
With Method, you can pull quality out of spreadsheets and emails and embed it directly into day-to-day workflows, so inspections, nonconformances, and corrective actions happen as work moves forward. That keeps quality visible in real time and ensures standards are followed consistently without holding up production.
Try Method for free today.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 main components of QMS?
While frameworks vary, most QMS models include quality planning, document control, performance monitoring (metrics and audits), and corrective/preventive action. Benchmarking is another way to ensure the product meets all customer requirements. Together, these components define standards, control execution, verify compliance, and drive improvement. The strongest systems connect those components into consistent workflows.
What are the benefits of a streamlined QMS?
A streamlined QMS reduces rework, limits the usage of raw materials that turn into scrap, and reduces audit stress by making quality processes repeatable and easy to follow. It improves on-time delivery by preventing defects from consuming capacity. It also strengthens customer trust because issues are handled consistently and backed by clear documentation.
