A Co‐Operative Quality Management System for Small Companies

Small companies have limited management and financial resources and, although better quality assurance will in the longer term reduce manufacturing costs, many are intimidated by the set up and running costs of certification under an approved scheme such as BS 5750. The article describes the first year's operation of a pilot scheme intended to help small companies resolve these problems. Experienced quality managers, recruited by an academic institution and with the institution's backing, have acted as managers for a group of small companies on a shared cost basis. The experience gained from this scheme is discussed.