Quality Management System - PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition

What is it?
According to the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition, a Quality Management System (QMS) is a framework that helps organizations ensure they meet customer and regulatory requirements, improve its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis. This is achieved by identifying processes, their interaction, and managing them.

Why is it Important?
A QMS is important as it forms the foundation for delivering products/services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It aids in improving customer satisfaction, reduces organizational costs by preventing waste, and enhances productivity and efficiency.

How it Works?
A QMS works by documenting the processes, responsibilities, and procedures required to achieve quality policies and objectives. It focuses on continuous improvement, planning, implementing, monitoring, and review of systems to meet the desired objectives.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Quality Management System
When facing questions on QMS, remember the following tips:
1. Understand the basic principles of QMS - customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making, relationship management. These principles make the basis of many questions.
2. Don't forget that a good QMS focuses on the continuous improvement of the system.
3. Know the requirement of relevant interested parties because their impact and perception can affect the system's performance.
4. Lastly, interpret situations in questions from a 'total system' viewpoint rather than just focusing on individual components.