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January 29, 2017

3400 Mayflower Avenue


Lehi, Utah 84003
Christopher Rogers
244 N 800 E
Orem, Utah 84097

Dear Mr. Rogers:

I received your letter inquiring about the requirements and duties associated with employment in
the role of a QMS manager or administrator. While the job functions are not always what you
might consider fun, they can be vastly rewarding. Allow me to elaborate:

Almost every established, large company will have a department dedicated to Quality. This is
typically the department under which the quality management system will fall. In some smaller
companies that dont manufacture, the quality management system may be thread-bare,
consisting of a training program and records associated with job training. However, in a large
company (particularly one where manufacturing takes place) the quality management system
will be much more robust, encompassing document control, vendor management, inventory
control and response to customer expectations. This means that the types of jobs in quality
management are nearly as endless as the types of companies which use a quality management
system.

Generally, the responsibilities of a QMS Manager will involve creating process and procedure.
This is typically according to or the format of the ISO9001:2015 standard. The catchphrase of
this ISO (International Standards Organization) is Do what you document, and document what
you do. Any auditor arriving at your place of business will first begin looking for evidence of
this standard throughout your organization. They may ask for training programs and associated
records, or make note of the documents that are in circulation in the production area. Do these
documents have identifiers, have they been reviewed in the last year for suitability, and is there a
procedure associated with the purpose of said document? This is likely the largest direct
responsibility of the QMS Manager as it is surely the area where they will have the most direct
oversight.

Other areas of the QMS are generally assigned to other organizational managers with oversight
from the QMS manager. For example, a QMS manager would not be responsible for procuring
vendors, reviewing contracts, and possibly conducting audits. However, the QMS manager
would be responsible for making sure that these things are done according to the procedures
outlined within the quality management system. This role usually has a lot of contact with each
area of an organization, and at least a small role in processes and procures throughout the
company.

There is no level of education required to be a QMS manager, but there are fields of study which
will benefit a potential candidate such as business management, technical writing and supply
chain operations. In lieu of a formal degree, there are a number of certifications associated with
the administration or management of a QMS such as ISO9001, ISO9001 and ISO10008, which
are listed in the BLS requirements for positions similar to QMS Manager. These certifications
can be earned by taking a course (usually a week long) and completing a number of audit hours
before applying for the certification. People who have been in this field for a long time can apply
portions of their work experience toward their audit hours, but managers just entering the field
will have to work toward the required number of hours. This is typically done through regular
business tasks.

The salary associated with this position is another thing that varies wildly from company to
company. A small, family owned-and-operated CPA firm may offer a qualified candidate $35,000
a year, where a large corporation or manufacturing facility could offer as much as $95,000-
100,000 per year. Experience also greatly effects this number, as a new QMS manager is not able
to command near as much as someone who has implemented and maintained quality
management systems in big companies. The key in knowing what salary to demand is being
aware of what organization you are looking to enter, how great their QMS needs are and how
much experience you bring to the table.

While overseeing a quality management system has gotten tremendously easier over time due to
creation of software programs, there are still a lot of manual requirements which have to be
carried out by a person able to reason write. Because a quality management system is so vast and
covers so many areas of operation, all of these components must be managed. Often, QMS
Managers are the key person in performing supplier audits and adding input to discussions
regarding supplier relations. These sorts of tasks could not reasonable be performed by
computers. With that said, there will likely be a need for QMS managers for the foreseeable
future.

Written communication is vital to this role, as one of the key functions of a QMS manager is to
write processes and procedures which are implemented across the organization. This is in
addition to professional correspondence with site leaders, executives, and outside supplier
contacts.
I hope this letter has sufficiently answered your questions about the roles, requirements and
details of QMS Management. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out again.

Sincerely
Kylee Hadfield,
Quality Management System Supervisor

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