What are the first steps toward better quality management?

Recognizing efficiency problems

You might know the feeling: it's time for another audit but no one is sure which version of the work process is actually in use. You spend half an hour looking for a document that should be ‘somewhere in that folder’. Employees improvise because the official procedure is unclear or outdated. And meanwhile, reports, deviations, and points for improvement pile up.

The question is simple: how much time are we wasting on chaos? And more importantly, what does it gain if we reduce that waste? We show you how to recognize cumbersome processes, tackle them and convert them into better quality management. Without large investments, but with concrete steps you can take tomorrow.

What is ‘waste’ in quality management?

Waste is everything that costs time and energy without adding value to your quality goals, and is often hidden in daily work routines. Sounds familiar? If so, you may recognize these five forms:

• Searching for documents – employees spend an average of 20% of their work time finding information. Scattered across folders, email, shared drives and different systems.
• Duplication – the same data is kept in multiple places. Checklists are recreated because no one knows they already exist. Processes are documented in parallel in Word, Excel, and on paper.
• Manual checks and transfers – information is manually retyped, checked and transferred. Every transfer is a risk of error and delay.
• Version confusion – no one is sure which version of a procedure, form, or template is the current one. Old versions continue to circulate and lead to inconsistent practices.
• Waiting for approvals – documents stall because it is unclear who should approve them, or because the review cycle is unclear or too long.

The impact on quality

Waste may seem like an efficiency problem at first glance, but it is more than that. The consequences in terms of quality are direct and measurable, as you can clearly see in the following list.

• Searching takes time → errors increase. Those who do not quickly find the right information, improvise. That leads to deviations, inconsistent execution, and non-conformities.
• Version confusion → audit stress. If you cannot demonstrate during an audit which procedure is valid, or if employees work with outdated instructions, ambiguities arise. And these cost time, money, and trust.
• Duplication → unclear ownership. If no one knows who is responsible for which document, nothing stays current. Processes become outdated and lose relevance, risks are not updated and improvement actions disappear in the chaos.
• Manual transfers → information loss. Every manual step is an opportunity for errors. Data is copied incorrectly, details get lost, and traceability disappears.

In short: waste undermines your quality system. It makes compliance more difficult, increases risk, and frustrates your team. You need to take action to ensure the highest possible quality of your product or service.

The first steps to greater control

Don't get too worked up right away – you really don't need to tackle everything at once. Start small, measure the effect of your intervention, and then build step by step. Here are six concrete actions you can take today to improve your quality management:

1. Make a process inventory
   Map out what processes, procedures, and documents are in place. It doesn't have to be perfect; make it complete enough to get an overview. Use a simple table or spreadsheet and note at least what it is (process, procedure or document), who owns it, where it is, and when it was last updated.
2. Assign clear ownership
   Every document and process should have one owner. Someone who is responsible for timeliness, quality, and accessibility. Make this clearly visible for everyone in the organization.
3. Create one source of truth
   Choose one central place where all current documents reside. Not three folders, not five systems; one place. Make old locations read-only or archive them. Communicate the new way of working and enforce it consistently.
4. Introduce standard templates.
   Make sure everyone uses the same principles for procedures, work instructions, risk assessments, and forms. This saves time, increases recognition, and makes reviews easier.
5. Set up a fixed review cycle
   Determine for each document type how often it should be reviewed (for example, annually or after an incident). Schedule reviews and send reminders. This keeps your documentation current without ad-hoc stress.
6. Measure with simple KPIs
   Choose two or three indicators you want to improve (e.g., average search time, number of outdated documents, change request turnaround time, or number of audit findings). Conduct before-and-after measurements, and make progress visible to your team.

From chaos to control in practice

A mid-sized healthcare facility struggled with fragmented quality documentation. Procedures were scattered across shared folders, e-mail, and paper folders. Employees reported spending an average of 30 minutes a day searching. Audits invariably yielded findings of outdated instructions.

The quality manager started with a process inventory and assigned an owner for each document. The team then migrated all current documents to one central, searchable environment with clear naming and version control. Standard templates were implemented and an annual review cycle set up.

After six months, the results were measurable: average search time dropped from 30 to 8 minutes per day. The number of audit findings related to documentation halved. More importantly, employees reported greater confidence in the quality of their work processes. The investment? Mostly time and discipline – in any case, no major software acquisition costs.

Read how Muller Care achieved success using WoodWing Scienta to streamline their internal processes and improve the quality of care.

Start today with one process

Going from chaos to control doesn't happen automatically – it takes effort and dedication. However, it doesn't have to be very complicated, either. Start with one process, one document, or one team. Clarify ownership, create overview, and measure the effect.

Every step you take towards less waste delivers immediate results: more grip, better compliance, and higher quality. And that is exactly what your team and your organization need.

You can easily try this yourself. Schedule a short improvement session with your team this week. Discuss where time is being lost and choose one concrete action to start with to counteract that time loss. You will find that even small steps can make a huge difference.