Recently the auto industry has been rocked by engine emissions scandals and technology products have been withdrawn from markets due to battery malfunctions.

Whatever the reason for these failures of quality control and the subsequent consequences to the organisations involved, it highlights the need for quality assessment, starting at the point of product procurement. Analysing requirements and subsequent performance expectations can be determined by a pre-qualification process in order to find the appropriate level of quality required.

Levels of Quality

As with all products, a manufacturing process has taken place. Involved in the manufacture or development are people, processes and procedures. The skills and qualifications of the people, the type of quality management systems in place and the subsequent methodology can form part of pre-qualification and lead to a recognition of what level of quality the supplier conveys.

When it comes to choosing a software supplier then, the pre-qualification can include, the usability of the software product itself, the ISO standards adopted and the Microsoft competencies achieved. Broken down this can be the product, the processes and the people.

The Product

An article in this Licence Link News section called “Software: Time-Saving Friend or Inefficient foe?” outlines the facets of a high level quality software solution. Stating in part:

A user’s approach to selecting software, however, can positively affect their efficiency and productivity. User-friendly, in this case, signifies the selection of a product that helps the user to complete the range of tasks required without being inhibited by the software design itself.

Obviously, the software solution has to meet all of the business and the user’s expectations. So the functionality and ease of use, the time taken to do tasks and identification of immediate actions via alerts is a prerequisite. Taken together, these facets or lack of them can provide a view of the level of quality presented.

The Processes

Levels of quality can also be viewed by the management processes set in place by the supplier. ISO 9001 can be taken as an excellent indicator of intensions and best practice. This certification that a quality management system (QMS) is in use, provides proof that the supplier is able to consistently offer a software solution that adheres to the requirements of their customers. It is further evidence of the level of quality the supplier adopts, of strong customer focus and the desire for constant improvements to the quality systems in place and to the quality of the product they supply.

ISO 9001 recommends that internal audits of the systems take place in order to monitor that the system works. Independent certification bodies can be called in to carry out audits, testing conformance to the standards required. It demonstrates that all levels of management are engaged and demonstratively involved in developing a culture of quality throughout the business.

The People

As with ISO 9001, another level of quality that a software solution supplier can exhibit is that of the commitment to quality of the people tasked to develop the products. This quality consciousness is promoted by Microsoft by determining the number of competencies that employees of a business have achieved. This can lead to Microsoft certifying a partnership with a software supplier when a high level of standards has been met.

A Microsoft Gold-Certified partner has developed a close working relationship with Microsoft through training and earned Microsoft qualifications, desiring to develop further the technologies for the benefit of the partners and their respective clients. Being a Gold-certified partner entitles the supplier to have exclusive access to Microsoft tools, toolkits, utilities and continual training. This concentration upon the development of the capabilities and skills of the people enables the supplier to offer products using the latest that Microsoft technology can provide.

Pre-qualifying the product, the processes and the people, provides a measure of the level of quality that a supplier of a software solution practices. Pinewood Technologies plc, the developer and supplier of Licence Link is ISO 9001 Quality certified ISO 27001Security certified and a Gold Microsoft Partner, Accredited with 6 Gold and 3 Silver competences. Competencies include Gold, Application Development, Data Analytics, Data Platform, Datacentre, Digital Advertising and Hosting. The Silver competencies are Application Integration, Intelligent Systems and Midmarket Solution.

A Premium Choice

This measurement of a supplier’s levels of quality in the pre-qualification stage in the procurement process will lead to finding the right supplier with the right software solution that a business requires. Using this measurement will also identify premium solutions, premium in the sense of added value not added costs. The added value provided by the product, the processes and the people, the levels of quality that lead to a premium choice.