Building a Quality Management System

QMS Template

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Use this document for assignments 1-5, and the final QMS report.  For each assignment, complete only the sections specified.  You will build the Quality Management System as you complete this form.  Specific Instructions are in the QMS Assignment document.

	Categories	Pages	Points
Assignment 1	Organizational Profile	4-6	50
Assignment 2	Category 3, Customer Focus and Category 5, Workforce Focus	4-6	75
Assignment 3	Category 6, Process Focus and Category 4, Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance	4-6	75
Assignment 4	Category 1, Leadership and Category 2, Strategic Planning	4-6	50
Assignment 5	Category 7, Results	Up to 5	50
	Assignments 1-5 Total		300
Final QMS	Final QMS Report  (Overall)	30	30
	Executive Summary	3 max	140
	Power Point	20 slides	30
	QMS Final Report Total		200
	Grand Total all QMS assignments		500

Complete it section last – after assignments 1-5.  Skip to next page for assignment 1.

Executive Summary (no more than 3 pages)

(Begin your summary here.  Remember, this is intended to convince senior leaders)

QMS Assignment 1 – Organizational Profile.

P.1 Organizational Description: What are your key organizational characteristics?

a. Organizational Environment

(1) Product Offerings What are your main product offerings*? What is the relative importance of each to your success? What mechanisms do you use to deliver your products?

Oak Falls Farm operates a farm-to-consumer business concept, featuring limited menu items and delivery service. Customers have the option of picking up or receiving their shipment at their door. A limited menu and simplified service processes allow Oak Falls Farm to better meet the key customer requirements. Oak Falls Farm is a farm-to-consumer concept with a butcher shop on site that takes special orders to serve customers specific and ever changing needs. The butcher shop is considered a value-added service that does not greatly impact the bottom line of the operation. The customers of Oak Falls Farm expect natural, and humanely raised animals with a great taste profile that are cared for by friendly team members in a clean environment.

(2) Mission, Vision, and Values What are your stated mission, vision, and values? What are your organization’s core competencies, and what is their relationship to your mission?

Our organizational culture is focused on happy, healthy animals and customer satisfaction. We are committed to delivering a value-added experience for our customers through our people, products, and atmosphere. Our core values include excellence, quality, integrity, and relationships. Our culture is first communicated to team members during the orientation process. This orientation is a mix of classroom like structure and on the farm training. Customer satisfaction culture is further communicated and implemented through continuous training, coaching, and meetings. Our core competencies enable us to excel in achieving our mission, vision, and thus customer satisfaction and profitability.

(3) Workforce Profile What is your workforce profile? What recent changes have you experienced in workforce composition or your workforce needs?

• What are your workforce or employee groups and segments,
• the educational requirements for different employee groups and segments, and
• the key drivers that engage them in achieving your mission and vision?

What are your organized bargaining units (union representation)? What are your organization’s special health and safety requirements?

Team members, are typically 18-35 years old, and come from mountain towns like Jasper and Ellijay Georgia. Most entry-level team members hold a minimum of a high school degree while managers and senior leadership have varying levels of higher education. All of team members have to work directly on the farm with the animals and also in the store with the customers. Oak Falls Farm employs about 20 team members that are categorized in four categories: 1) senior leadership, 2) management, 3) support/service, and 4) production team. We engage team members in accomplishing our mission by selecting, training, developing, and compensating those who follow instructions and strive to satisfy customers. Team member feedback is gathered through a comment box, meeting surveys, and weekly staff meetings. For a farm-to-consumer business, we are at or near the benchmark by providing full-time hourly team members 90% paid comprehensive group benefits.

(4) Assets What are your major facilities, technologies, and equipment?

Oak Falls Farm facilities include a corporate office building that houses offices for senior leadership, and management team, and an open room with several desks for the support/service team, and the storefront that customers use to place and pick up orders. They also include a barn for the equipment, a hay barn and stables for the animals. The processing area and butcher shop feature stainless steel surfaces throughout, making the area durable and very cleanable. We offer a walk-in service, and a delivery service for those customers that do not have time to come by, but prefer the clean, natural products that you can’t get in your typical grocery store. The facility also features state-of-the-art technology including touch screen registers, automatic hand-wash sinks, and an extensive camera system. When customer comments or complaints and team member comments are submitted through the company website, senior leaders receive notification to their email.

(5) Regulatory Requirements What is the regulatory environment under which you operate? What are the key applicable occupational health and safety regulations; accreditation, certification, or registration requirements; industry standards; and environmental, financial, and product regulations?

We adhere to state and federal employment guidelines including Workers Compensation, Equal Employment Opportunity, OSHA, and Fair Labor Standards Act in addition to state and local food safety regulations. We hold senior leaders, managers, and team members accountable to ethical and legal standards and remain committed to maintaining our upstanding reputation as a sound organization with high principles.

b. Organizational Relationships

(1) Organizational Structure What are your organizational structure and governance system? What are the reporting relationships among your governance board, senior leaders, and parent organization, as appropriate?

Oak Falls Farm is a privately held company. The two owners (senior leadership) are equal partners who closely adhere to a system of checks and balances. A team of three managers report directly to the owners. Senior leadership works closely with the managers to achieve organizational strategies and objectives. Fewer levels of authority have enabled senior leadership to personally drive expectations which results in a more streamlined, efficient communication process.

(2) customers** and stakeholders What are your key market segments, customer groups, and stakeholder groups, as appropriate? What are their key requirements and expectations for your products, customer support services, and operations? What are the differences in these requirements and expectations among market segments, customer groups, and stakeholder groups?

The market for Oak Falls Farm consists of Atlanta, Georgia and its surrounding communities. The primary market segment for Oaks Fall Farm is the natural foods groups, and folks that want good, healthy alternatives to the unethically raised meats at the grocery stores. The business concept appeals to a wide range of customers from various demographics. The key requirements for our customers are: natural and humanely raised animals with a great taste. Our customers maintain a high degree of loyalty because we regularly provide our key customer requirements and key business drivers in each transaction. We are consistent with our products and services and do not allow varying local and national trends to distract us from consistently meeting and exceeding our key customer requirements at an outstanding level.

(3) Suppliers and Partners What are your key types of suppliers, partners, and collaborators? What role do they play:

• in your work systems, especially in producing and delivering your key products and customer support services; and
• in enhancing your competitiveness?

What are your key mechanisms for two-way communication with suppliers, partners, and collaborators? What role, if any, do these organizations play in contributing and implementing innovations in your organization? What are your key supply-chain requirements?

We carefully select suppliers and vendors to partner with, and require all vendors to comply with our standards and product specifications. Key vendors receive an annual Key Vendor Scorecard that provides them with performance feedback. Our key suppliers consist of feed, and equipment, vendors. We partnered with Cherokee Feed and Seed, our primary feed and equipment supplier, to create an efficient, price-effective order process. Building supplier relationships and limiting the number of key suppliers and vendors has resulted in an economical, streamlined and efficient order, delivery, and inventory process.

P.2 Organizational Situation: What is your organization’s strategic situation?

a. Competitive Environment

(1) Competitive Position What is your competitive position? What are your relative size and growth in your industry or the markets you serve? How many and what types of competitors do you have?

Oak Falls Farm competes in the local Atlanta market with other farm-to-consumer concepts. We create a competitive advantage in the market by focusing on our key business drivers and continually improving our processes. Competitive factors in the market include product quality, speed of service, accuracy, friendly service, and cleanliness.

(2) Competitiveness Changes What key changes, if any, are affecting your competitive situation, including changes that create opportunities for innovation and collaboration, as appropriate?

The key factors that define our success in surpassing our key customer requirements are our core competencies and process excellence. We feel that our continuing focus on our key business drivers have enabled us to maintain high sales at Oak Falls Farm.

(3) Comparative Data What key sources of comparative and competitive data are available from within your industry? What key sources of comparative data are available from outside your industry? What limitations, if any, affect your ability to obtain or use these data?

We are limited in gathering comparative data in that none of the farm-to-consumer concepts in our market are publicly traded.

b. Strategic Context

What are your key strategic challenges and advantages in the areas of business, operations, societal responsibilities, and workforce?

Strategic challenges are inherent in the farming business and all operators are affected by the same threats to some degree. Various challenges that Oak Falls Farm faces are: effects of the economy, new competition, improving our people development and communication processes, natural change in the weather, which affects the animals and the natural lands they live on, and growing the brand while maintaining focus on operational excellence.

c. Performance Improvement System

What are the key elements of your performance improvement system, including your processes for evaluation and improvement of key organizational projects and processes?

The mission, vision, values, key business drivers, and key customer requirements drive senior leaderships decision-making and performance improvement. Senior leadership uses an assortment of statistics to recognize performance development opportunities, and applies our problem solving process to ensure the change will have a constructive and ecological influence on our mission, vision, values, key business drivers, and key customer requirements. We then use structured organizational meetings to effectively deploy improvements to team members and communicate performance measurement.

End of QMS Assignment 1

QMS 1 Grading Rubric

Item	Points Available
Organizational Profile
P1a) Organizational Environment	10
P1b) Organizational Relationships	10
P2a) Competitive Environment	10
P2b) Strategic Context	10
P3) Performance Improvement System	10
QMS 1 Total	50

QMS Assignment 2 – Customer and Workforce Focus

3.1 Voice of the Customer: How do you obtain information from your customers?

(1) How do you listen to, interact with, and observe customers* to obtain actionable information?

We have several channels of receiving feedback from customers to obtain actionable information. Our listening methods are easily accessible from all populations. Our listening methods are designed to vary based on the individual customer and their needs by allowing options for access across the entire customer life cycle. Each response to a complaint or comment is tailored to the specific complaint or comment made and the customer’s personality. Key support mechanisms are accessible in-store, during the key touch points, and from the customer’s home or place of business. These key support mechanisms are always available to all customers and are applicable throughout the entire life-cycle of the customer whether it be single visit or a long-term customer. Customers can enter complaints or comments via the company website, on comment cards located in-store, or verbal in-store and phone feedback. Customers receive face-to-face interaction while in-store which enables them to place their order, complete their transaction, and receive quick resolution to complaints. Once they leave the store we listen to our customers by phone, through the internet and mail. We respond to feedback in-person in the store through the managers that are on site and readily available and willing to assist customers in any shape, form or fashion the customer requires. This allows customers and managers to easily talk to each other, determine the customer’s level of satisfaction, and build relationships.

(2) How do you listen to potential customers to obtain actionable information?

Oak Falls Farm has acknowledged the following efficient systems for listening to previous customers, prospective customers, and the customers of our competitors to identify strengths and opportunities:

• Key questions from our customer satisfaction survey that ask how we compare to our competitors.
• Senior leadership shops competitors from the perspective of a customer using the same food quality assessment tools used internally and compare the results to our concepts.
• A 3rd party, mystery shopping company conducts formal shops, bi-annually, at competitors and our store, allowing us to compare scores.
• 3rd party web reviews provide objective feedback relating our products and services to our competitors.

All key support mechanisms that take place outside of the store (online, verbal phone, 3rd party web reviews) are also available to previous or prospective customers.

(3) How do you determine customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and engagement?

We have several efficient measures of customer dissatisfaction. Customer dissatisfaction measures can be obtained from in-store verbal feedback, verbal phone feedback, web site complaints, 3rd party web reviews, and comment cards. The dissatisfaction data is actionable in most cases because it involves a customer having a negative impression of something important to that customer. Managers or senior leadership responds immediately to comments that are made in the store or are conveyed after the visit.

(4) How do you obtain information on customers’ satisfaction with your organization relative to other organizations?

We determine customer satisfaction using comment card surveys and online satisfaction surveys. The comment card surveys are actually electronic devices that are designed to capture overall satisfaction with our key customer requirements and customer loyalty. The surveys are short, easy to understand and take less than five minutes to complete. Probably the most important feature of the device is that it is hosted by a 3^rd part and connects directly to the supplier’s server, so there is no way that someone can say that we manipulate the results of the surveys.

3.2 Customer Engagement: How do you engage customers by serving their needs and building relationships?

(2) How do you enable customers to seek information and support?

In order to build relationships with our customers, first time customers receive an enthusiastic welcome before the cashier discusses our signature items, and describes the menu and ordering process. Repeat customers are welcomed back and told about items they might not have tried. All completed orders are called out to the customer to be picked up on the line where they are greeted by a team member and asked if they have any other needs or have any questions. Other ways in which we build customer relationships is by greeting customers as they walk through the door, recognizing loyal customers, and maintaining our key customer requirements of cleanliness and sanitation at impressive levels. Because clean facilities are a very important requirement for our customers, restrooms are inspected and attended to by a team member every fifteen minutes according to a checklist that is posted for customers to see, and the display cases are cleaned, and counters wiped down after any sort of rush or every thirty minutes. We focus on consistently achieving operational excellence to build a loyal customer base and attract new customers by our reputation in the community and through innovative advertising.

(3) How do you determine your customer groups and market segments?

Our primary market is the natural foods groups, and folks that want good, healthy alternatives to the unethically raised meats at the grocery stores. We study farm journals, business publications, and books as well as probe suppliers for market intelligence. We has partnered with an advertising agency to make sure our marketing efforts are both creative and cutting edge. We use the information provided by the agency to improve marketing and appeal to changing population demographics.

(4) How do you build and manage customer relationships?

Senior leadership keeps tactics for customer listening, determination of customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and engagement, as well as the use of data current with our key business drivers and key customer requirements. Any changes recommended based on these annual reviews are assigned to the general manager to ensure that proper follow ups on and reviews on progress and results are being met.

(5) How do you manage customer complaints?

The purpose of our complaint management process is to:

• Promptly and effectively resolve the complaint and restore 100% customer satisfaction.
• Avoid reoccurring issues through analysis, feedback, coaching and training.
• Revise processes to minimize errors.

The customer service industry demands fast resolution to customer dissatisfaction. The majority of our complaints are stated while the customers are still in the store, therefore we have applied a procedure to quickly handle and satisfy customer complaints when stated at the store level. Verbal in-store complaints and comments are generally handled by team members and managers who are educated to satisfy the customer through hospitality and quality control. In-house complaints are handled first by team members by exchanging products that do not satisfy the customer. Team members are fully trained on customer satisfaction during training and are instructed to personally take ownership of any customer complaint and resolve it based on verbal and non-verbal cues from the customer. Managers can offer refunds or gift cards to customers who are not 100% satisfied after the team member has addressed the complaint and attempted to restore satisfaction. This customer satisfaction recovery mechanism ensures that most complaints are resolved at the store-level. Comments or complaints that are submitted by customers on the external website, e-mail, or phone are answered to by senior leadership or the general manager via e-mail, phone, or letter using an assured process. 

5.1 Workforce Environment: How do you build an effective and supportive workforce environment?

(1) How do you assess your workforce capability and capacity needs?

Providing sufficient staffing is critical to meeting our key business drivers and key customer requirements. Oak Falls Farm is allotted a number of labor hours each week that is needed based on the weekly sales reports. The general manager is responsible for completing the schedule according to the allotted labor hours. Senior leadership reviews customer complaints, measurement inspection scores, and special event or holiday requirements to make adjustments to staffing needs.

Workforce Capability: This is identified through training and developing the skills necessary to produce high quality products served quickly and accurately by friendly team members in a clean environment. Mastered skills are checked off training checklists and team members are required to complete certification training for key functions.

(2) How do you recruit, hire, place, and retain new workforce members?

All eligible manager and service/support team applicants complete a career history form, and an online work, personality, and performance profile. If the applicant is a possible fit they then go through an interview with both owners (senior leadership), and the general manager, followed by an in-store observation day. We retain new team members through a carefully designed onboarding process and inserting them into a culture where they can achieve excellence in their job. Our team members work well with each other and have the capability to cross gender, age, language, and cultural barriers.

(3) How do you organize and manage your workforce?

All positions are in a state of self-control, meaning they understand the performance expectations and have control over the quality for the products and services that leave their position. Team members are cross-trained and learn different positions after mastering the job skills of their starting position. This creates a certain level of flexibility meaning that team members from different positions can step up and offer assistance when needed to guarantee we are serving high quality products in a fast, clean, and friendly environment. At least two managers are scheduled for most shifts and are responsible for directing and efficiently coaching the staff, as well as supervising process execution.

(5) How do you ensure workplace health, security, and accessibility for the workforce?

We ensure the safety, security, and well-being of team members and customers by remaining proactive versus reactive. Numerous safety and security measures have been implemented, including cameras, panic buttons, and state-of-the-art fire and security monitoring systems. Team members receive training on the location of panic buttons as part of onboarding. A process for properly handling accidents has been clearly defined and communicated in the Safety Handbook. Senior leadership reviews accidents, identifies trends, and modifies processes accordingly to eliminate the root causes of future accidents. Oak Falls Farm is also a pro second amendment establishment and encourages all of our employees to attain proper firearms training, register for their Georgia Weapons License and participate in carrying.

5.2 Workforce Engagement: How do you engage your workforce to achieve a high-performance work environment?

(3) How do you assess workforce engagement?
Team members are in a state of self-control in regards to their daily job responsibilities. This means they know the standards, have the skills to check to see if the process output meets the standards, and are authorized to correct it or stop the production if it doesn’t meet 100% of the standards. The key measures of workforce engagement include audits, point-of-contacts, and other measures that assess whether team members are fully following the processes and satisfying customers. We asses team member engagement by tracking and reviewing the following measures:

• Team member engagement/satisfaction surveys
• Productivity
• Absenteeism
• Internal advancements
• Exit surveys
• Turnover rates
• Accident and workers compensation data
• Team member suggestions

Data from the team member survey results is reviewed by senior leadership. Besides the team member engagement/satisfaction surveys, team member feedback, and training and development, another resource to assess team member engagement/satisfaction is the attitude of our team members and the overwhelming response of customer satisfaction. We conduct satisfaction surveys for existing team members to capture data concerning their overall job satisfaction. Team member retention is also an indicator of engagement/ satisfaction that we measure constantly. Senior leadership reviews turnover on a monthly basis. Through excellent people processes we have among the lowest turnover rates in the industry, within the region.

(4) How does your workforce performance management system support high performance and workforce engagement?

Our workforce performance management system supports high performance work and workforce engagement by establishing, training, measuring, and evaluating people processes, work processes, and work flow to allow team members to meet our key customer requirements at a consistently high level and satisfy our customers. We have designed a workforce performance management system based on day-to-day coaching in order to maximize team member performance.

Rewards, Recognition, and Incentives: Our workforce performance management system considers compensation, reward, recognition, and incentive programs by building individual improvement assessments on individual job performance rather than length of service. Top producers are compensated and acknowledged for exceptional performance through awards, compensation, and advancement.

Performance Measurement: Team member performance expectations are measured by position scorecards and coaching charts. Team members are held accountable to the same fundamental responsibilities regarding attendance, attitude, teamwork, and other performance-related behaviors.

(6) How do you evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your learning and development system?
Senior leadership determines the efficiency of our learning system through job scorecards, coaching charts, customer feedback, and operations inspections. Senior leadership reviews results and any performance gaps are identified and training solutions are determined and implemented.

End of QMS Assignment 2

QMS 2 Grading Rubric

Item	Points Available
Customer focus
3.1-1 Listening to customers	5
3.1-2 Listening to potential customers	5
3.1-3 satisfaction, dissatisfaction and engagement	5
3.1-4 customers of other organizations	5
3.2-2 customer support	5
3.2-3 customer groups and market segments	5
3.2-4 customer relationships	5
3.2-5 customer complaints	5
	Total: 40
High Performance Workforce Management
5.1-1 capability and capacity	5
5.1-2 Recruit, hire and retain	5
5.1-3 organize and manage workforce	5
5.1-5 Health, security, etc.	5
5.2-3 Assess workforce engagement	5
5.2-4 workforce performance management system	5
5.2-6 effectiveness and efficiency of learning system	5
	Total: 35
QMS 2 Total	75

QMS Assignment 3 – Measurement, Analysis & Improvement and Process Focus

6.1 Work Processes: How do you design, manage, and improve your key products and work processes?

(1) How do you determine key product* and work process requirements?

Oak Falls Farm has proven to be a leader in the farm-to-table concept. Achieving our key customer requirements depends on our ability to consistently execute production and service processes, while our ability to grow and achieve organizational sustainability depends on how well we execute our business and operational procedures. Oak Falls Farm has developed an organized procedure for designing and modernizing overall work systems. Factors we must consider when determining to keep key work systems internal or external are:

• Does it consist with our image?
• Does it consist with our company values?
• Does it meet key customer requirements?
• Do we risk proprietary information?
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Is it a commodity?
• Can we control product quality?

Work systems are clearly defined, and our team members are trained to consistently create memorable interactions. Our customers require high-quality products served quickly and accurately by friendly team members in a clean environment. This requires our team members to know and follow the processes required to do their jobs. In order to be effective, work processes are implemented with clearly defined requirements and measurements which are reviewed during the annual process improvement meeting.

(2) How do you design your products and work processes to meet requirements?

Our product and work processes are determined according to their impact on our key business drivers. We excel in product quality, speed of service, accuracy, friendly service, and cleanliness. We use our core competencies to design and execute work systems and key work processes that satisfy customers through meeting and surpassing their key customer requirements. The requirements for all core work processes are that they enable us to consistently satisfy the customer in addition to contributing to organizational sustainability. Team members are empowered to guarantee customer satisfaction and to contribute to our overall success by practicing quality control and submitting ideas on how to better achieve our key business drivers and key customer requirements. The expertise from the team members who perform the processes on a daily basis is a valuable resource. Productivity, and cost control are factors considered during the design/ redesign process. Service and production work processes are designed to provide customer satisfaction while maximizing profits. Work processes are deployed through new team member training and shift meeting communications. Team members know and understand the process standards and are trained to execute tasks to meet the process standards using the approved production or service processes. Each procedure is designed so the team member is in a state of self-control, meaning they know the standards, have the skills to check to see if the process output meets the standards, and is authorized to correct it or stop the product unless it meets 100% of the standards. Customers provide feedback if our products and services do not meet their expectations. This feedback is used to correct the product or service. Each process is aimed so the process requirements are interpreted to operational steps which are a set of behaviors and methods that if they are performed to standard will result in the product meeting standards. Following the process steps and the associated behaviors and methods provides the team member a set of in-process controls.

(3) How does your day-to-day operation of work processes ensure that they meet key process requirements?

Key work processes contribute to providing value to customers, profitability, organizational success, and sustainability by exceeding our key business drivers and key customer requirements. Key work processes are key contributors to customer satisfaction, loyalty, profitability, and sustained operations. Key work procedures are intended to allow our team members to serve quality products to our customers in a fast, friendly, and clean environment and allow our management team to effectively run their operation on a daily basis. Our company’s reports measure: gross sales, average order value and in-stock rate. We hold an annual review of all of our processes, to ensure alignment with the key business drivers and key customer requirements and enable incorporation and development.

(4) How do you determine your key support processes?

Key support processes, listed in the table below, with the day to day operational measures to ensure they are meeting the key business support requirements, are determined using the product and process design process in the table below

Key Support Processes	In-Process Day-to-Day Measures
Accounting	Net cash over monthly expenses, A/P >60 days
Human Resources (HR)	Percentage Compliance Employee documentation
Information Technology (IT)	Percentage of calls answered immediately Percentage of concerns resolved same day Employee Availability
Insurance	Percentage of turns, retention, bundle & premium
Learning/Development	Percentage of training held/schedule, achieve goals

(5) How do you improve your work processes to improve products and performance, enhance your core competencies, and reduce variability?

Work process improvements are identified by what is necessary to collect data from operations inspections, process audits, as well as team members and customer feedback. The performance analysis process contains three different paths of improvement:

• Compliance gaps, which are given to managers for coaching.
• Process gaps, which senior leadership coordinates using either the process design/redesign process or the problem solving process.
• Gap necessitating substantial resources to close, which is measured during the annual process improvement review.

Senior leadership use a systematic process improvement process during the annual process improvement meeting to assess and improve the core work systems, work processes, support systems, and management procedures. The approved changes are mandatory. Once carried out, we audit the new standard and correct inconsistencies.

6.2 Operational Effectiveness: How do you ensure effective management of your operations?

(1) How do you control the overall costs of your operations?
Oak Falls Farm applies lean principles in order to remove non-value added steps to ensure errors are not made, passed on, and /or repeated. Self-control is built into each job so the team member knows the standard for their product or service, if they are meeting the standard, and how to correct or not pass on product that does not fully meet standard. The day-to-day operation of work processes is measured and controlled through measurement processes, including inspections and audits. Other methods to help ensure the correct product gets to the customer include:

• Cashier reads back order to customers to verify it is complete and accurate
• Use of a triple-check system to verify accuracy on large orders
• Cashier checks items off of a notepad before placing them in the to-go bag

(2) How do you manage your supply chain?
The management of our supply chain starts with our organizational goals and key supplier requirements. For example, in 2016, we negotiated a new agreement with a key vendor, Cherokee Feed and Seed. This enabled us to receive additional discounts and delivery programs to better meet our key customer requirement. Management continues through executing processes, standardized policies, and contracts. At a top level, the execution of our supply chain follows a recurring process cycle: supplier program management, supplier relationship management, purchasing, inventory management, receiving, and accounts payable. We survey our suppliers and key vendors annually on their Key Vendor Scorecard and their satisfaction with our ability to meet their key requirements. We use this information to identify innovation and improvement ideas for our supply chain management processes. Supplier performance is managed monthly using the supplier performance evaluation process. Our approach to creating great supplier relationships also includes processes for collaboration and planning to improve sales and marketing results with all suppliers. In early 2017, we improved our supplier performance evaluation process to set expectations and boundaries for our product suppliers to better align with our business needs. Feedback is provided through our supplier relationship management process which details steps for providing feedback, including performance reports, frequency and methods of contact, and documenting supplier feedback in our product center application and Performance Improvement System. Suppliers are notified when they fail to meet performance criteria outlined in the supplier performance evaluation process. If notification doesn’t resolve the performance issue, we may discontinue the supplier through our supplier deactivation process. Prior to deactivation, performance issues are escalated, as appropriate, to allow for senior leadership involvement for resolution.

(3) How do you provide a safe operating environment?
To ensure our team members can feel confident they are working in a safe place, our safety system includes:

• Policies and protocols for a safe environment
• Education and training

Oak Falls Farm adheres to the highest level of facility safety standards concerning cleanliness and facility design to enhance safety, with regular inspections and review of the environment of care standards where safety issues are immediately addressed. In addition, to keep safety at the forefront of our team members mind, we have discussions of any safety concerns during the daily shift meetings. Our team members also participate in annual training on preventing back injuries, blood borne pathogen exposures (since we handle raw meats), and general work place safety, including proper MSDS and fire extinguisher usage. Operating environment risk assessments are conducted proactively, and if a safety lapse occurs, a root cause analysis is completed to identify corrective actions and prevent the problem from reoccurring.

(4) How do you ensure that your organization is prepared for disasters or emergencies?

We maintain processes allowing us to prepare for disasters or emergencies. By conducting training and drills throughout the year, including emergency evacuation and shelter-in-place, we prepare employees on the proper response in the event of a disaster or emergency. Initial training and refresher training for our Safety Response Team ensures we are prepared to provide basic first aid as required. In addition we complete the required annual certification of our fire and security systems. Our Business Continuity Plan Management process which includes our Integrated Contingency Plan, business impact analysis and risk assessments is used to evaluate the risk and likelihood we will experience a disaster or emergency. Continuity and recovery are considered as part of our business impact analysis and risk assessments, which identify continuity and recovery concerns, resources and recovery time objectives. We consider prevention through security systems, sprinkler systems and partnerships with fire departments. Continuity of operations is addressed through fail-over and data back-up services for customer-critical applications.

 

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance: How do you measure, analyze, and then improve organizational performance?

(1) How do you use data and information to track daily operations and overall organizational performance?
Oak Falls Farm has created a consistent, systematic approach to analyzing and using organizational performance measures. We have determined precisely what data to collect, how to incorporate it, and how to measure it based on what is truly important to our organization, our key business drivers, and key customer requirements. Data for tracking daily operations and overall organizational performance is collected from a variety of sources including measurement assessments, daily sales, HR data, order accuracy reports, customers and team member feedback, and operational labor and product cost analyses. The data is summarized in an Access database. Communication and analysis mechanisms include the intranet site, and Quickbooks. Another major collecting, aligning, and integrating of data occurs as the data is collected for the organizational meetings, particularly the managers meeting. Sales data is collected from our automated point of sale system. Sales numbers, customer count, product mix, and financial information is automatically generated on a daily basis and transmitted to the senior leadership and general manager network share each night, thus keeping them informed of the latest sales data. Shift labor shortages are also entered on the intranet site and senior leadership is notified, allowing them to quickly aid in determining the best solution to fill the position as necessary. At any time a member of the management team or senior leadership can access the security-enabled intranet site to review data related to labor hours, scheduling and overtime. This allows managers to tightly control labor and compare weekly labor costs to the same week’s costs from the previous years. Overtime and total labor costs are updated each week. All performance data is available to senior leadership and members of the management team through the intranet site. Data is used to support organizational decision making and improvement by using real-time data, analyzing trends, conducting competitor and industry comparisons.

(4) How do you ensure that your performance measurement system can respond to rapid or unexpected organizational or external changes?

Oak Falls Farms measurement and analysis framework is intended to be responsive, which means we capture data in a way that allows it to be easily reconfigured. This allows us to quickly present data and information to meet changing organizational needs. Results of our measurement and analysis framework are evaluated in relation to meeting our key customer requirements and key business drivers. As the key customer requirements and key business drivers evolve, we modernize our framework to maintain orientation with them.

 (5) How do you review your organization’s performance and capabilities?

Data is reviewed biweekly by the general manager and monthly by senior leadership. Once collected, all data is integrated into the secure intranet site and into Quickbooks for accounting review. The general manager is accountable for researching performance gaps and doing trend analysis regarding sales, labor data, and inspection scores. Performance measures and progress related to the organizational strategic plan are reviewed in the monthly senior leadership meeting. Occasionally new performance measures will be added in order to achieve our strategic objective. Senior leadership utilizes performance data related to conduct gap analysis and trend analysis in order to assess our ability to respond to changes or potential changes in our key customer requirements.

(6) How do you share best practices in your organization?

Sharing of best practices comes in the form of partnership between departments and during our strategic planning meetings. It is mandatory for the general manager and all shift managers to attend the strategic planning meetings where all aspects of our work systems are reviewed. Best practice sharing transpires throughout these detailed deliberations. Best practices are shared with other departments as the resolution is designed, executed and documented in our work instructions.

 

(8) How do you use findings from performance reviews (addressed in question 5) to develop priorities for continuous improvement and opportunities for innovation?

Each strategic planning meeting starts with a assessment of our company scorecard and the company’s strengths, and weakness, and then moves into a review of each department’s scorecard and strengths and weaknesses. This allows the senior leadership and managers to pinpoint performance issues that may affect our capability to satisfy our customers while maintaining our key business drivers. This data is used to prioritize opportunities for unceasing development and improvement. Company priorities are deployed in the team member training, annual process improvement meetings. Department priorities are deployed in the team member training, shift meetings. Company and department priorities are captured and accessible to all team members on the intranet site.

4.2 Knowledge Management, Information, and Information Technology: How do you manage your organizational knowledge assets, information, and information technology infrastructure?

(1) How do you manage organizational knowledge?
IT systems and processes are designed to ensure CIA: Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.

Confidentiality: We deal with confidential data concerning both our customers and our team members. Computer access is protected by secure login and passwords. All personnel records and customer payment records are maintained in locked files. File keys are issued only to team members who have security access, and have signed a confidentiality agreement. The manager’s offices are kept locked at all times.

Integrity and Reliability: Systems are password protected to ensure integrity. Performance data is cross-referenced and collected by different team members who do not have a reason to influence the data results. Passwords are not to be shared, and our systems are configured to require a password change every 60 days.

Availability: Incremental data backups are done every night at 9:00pm. A full weekly backup takes place on Sunday at 12am. Once a month, a full system backup is taken and then stored in a safe deposit box at the bank that we have our accounts through. We also use a system of redundant fiber optic cabling, and backup systems to ensure that if a single system or cable malfunctions, we remain in an up and operational state to continue to provide excellent service to our customers.

 

(2) How do you use your knowledge and resources to embed learning in the way your organization operates?

Oak Falls Farm has implemented a system of storing files on a highly available server which allows each employee to easily access the general managers meeting schedule, the strategic plan, operations manuals, and other forms and documents needed during daily operations. Data is accessible according to established access control lists, per position and responsibility. Server access, files and software applications are password protected and must be cleared through the IT department. Sales data and inspection scores are communicated to team members during daily shift meetings to ensure understanding and alignment of our strategic goals. Personnel information, timekeeping, payroll, and benefits are all stored and managed on an additional network share that is further locked down with strict access control lists.

(5) How do you ensure the availability of organizational data and information?

The IT department annually evaluates current hardware and software systems, identifies any performance gaps, researches new technology, benchmarks IT best practices, and determines which technological improvements would best align with key business drivers and key customer requirements. Recommended changes are reviewed by senior leadership during the annual process improvement meeting.

(7) In the event of an emergency, how do you ensure that hardware and software systems and data and information continue to be secure and available to effectively serve customers and business needs?

High priority systems are monitored continuously and the system administrator is automatically notified of any unusual events. Our Integrated Contingency Plan contains emergency response procedures which include: Infrastructure diagrams for network servers and overall architectural design, daily data backups, offsite storage, nightly test restores of core databases, supply of backup equipment for key process and uninterruptible power source coverage for all computer systems.

End of QMS Assignment 3

QMS 3 Grading Rubric

Item	Points Available
Process Management
6.1-1 determining requirements	6
6.1-2 design products and processes	6
6.1-3 day to day operation to meet requirements	6
6.1-4 key support processes	6
6.1-5 Improve processes	6
6.2-1 control costs	6
6.2-2 manage supply chain	6
6.2-3 safe operating environment	6
6.2-4 disaster preparedness	6
	Total: 45
Performance Measurement and Information Management
4.1-1 tracking operations and performance	3
4.1-3 using VOC data	3
4.1-4 responding to rapid changes	3
4.1-5 reviewing organizational performance	3
4.1-6 sharing best practices	3
4.1-8 develop priorities for improvement	3
4.2-1 manage organizational knowledge	3
4.2-2 embed learning	3
4.2-5 ensuring availability of data and information	3
4.2-7 operating in an emergency	3
	Total: 30
QMS 3 Total	75

QMS Assignment 4 – Leadership and Strategic Planning

1.1 Senior Leadership: How do your senior leaders lead the organization?

(1) How do senior leaders set your organization’s vision and values?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) How do senior leaders’ actions demonstrate their commitment to legal and ethical behavior?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) How do senior leaders’ actions build an organization that is successful now and in the future?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) How do senior leaders communicate with and engage the entire workforce and key customers?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(5) How do senior leaders create a focus on action that will achieve the organization’s mission?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

1.2 Governance and Societal Responsibilities: How do you govern your organization and fulfill your societal responsibilities?

(3) How do you anticipate and address public concerns with your products and operations?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) How do you promote and ensure ethical behavior in all interactions?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(5) How do you consider societal well-being and benefit as part of your strategy and daily operations?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(6) How do you actively support and strengthen your key communities?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

2.1 Strategy Development: How do you develop your strategy?

(1) How do you conduct your strategic planning?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) How does your strategy development process stimulate and incorporate innovation?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) How do you collect and analyze relevant data and develop information for your strategic planning process?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(6) How do your strategic objectives achieve appropriate balance among varying and potentially competing organizational needs?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

2.2 Strategy Implementation: How do you implement your strategy?

(2) How do you deploy your action plans?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) How do you ensure that financial and other resources are available to support the achievement of your action plans while you meet current obligations?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) What are your key workforce plans to support your short- and longer-term strategic objectives and action plans?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(5) What key performance measures or indicators do you use to track the achievement and effectiveness of your action plans?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(7) How do you establish and implement modified action plans if circumstances require a shift in plans and rapid execution of new plans?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

End of QMS Assignment 4

QMS 4 Grading Rubric

Item	Points Available
Leadership Focus
1.1-1 Vision and Values	3
1.1-2 Commitment to legal and ethical behavior	2
1.1-3 Success, now and in the future	3
1.1-4 engagement	3
1.1-5 Focus on Action	3
1.2-3 public concerns	3
1.2-4 promote ethical behavior	2
1.2-5 Societal well being	3
1.2-6 Support for key communities	3
	Total:  25
Strategic Planning Focus
2.1-1 Strategic planning	4
2.1-2 Innovation	3
2.1-3 Data for planning	3
2.1-6 Balance	3
2.2-2 Deployment	3
2.2-3 Resources	3
2.2-4 Workforce plans	2
2.2-5 Tracking action plans	2
2.2-7 Modifying action plans	2
	Total: 25
QMS 4 Total	50

QMS Assignment 5: Results

7.1 Product and Process Results: What are your product performance and process effectiveness results?

(1) What are your results for your products and your customer service processes?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) What are your process effectiveness and efficiency results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) What are your emergency preparedness results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) What are your supply-chain management results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

7.2 Customer-Focused Results: What are your customer-focused performance results?

(1) What are your customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction results?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) What are your customer engagement results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

7.3 Workforce-Focused Results: What are your workforce-focused performance results?

(1) What are your workforce capability and capacity results?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) What are your workforce climate results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) What are your workforce engagement results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) What are your workforce and leader development results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

7.4 Leadership and Governance Results: What are your senior leadership and governance results?

(1) What are your results for senior leaders’ communication and engagement with the workforce and customers?
(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) What are your results for governance accountability?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(3) What are your legal and regulatory results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(4) What are your results for ethical behavior?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(5) What are your results for societal responsibilities and support of your key communities?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(6) What are your results for the achievement of your organizational strategy and action

plans?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

7.5 Financial and Market Results: What are your financial and marketplace performance results?

(1) What are your financial performance results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

(2) What are your marketplace performance results?

(Describe your process ADLI here)

End of QMS Assignment 5

QMS 5 Grading Rubric

Item	Points Available
7.1 Product and Process Results	10
7.2 Customer Focused Results	10
7.3 Workforce Focused Results	10
7.4 Leadership and Governance Results	10
7.5 Financial and Market Results	10
QMS 5 Total	50

Final QMS Report Rubric

Item	Points Available
Appropriate Length, including executive summary	10
Professional presentation	10
Executive Summary: clear, concise, summarizes entire report	10
Components of quality management system:
Organizational Profile	Added to QMS 1
Customer and Workforce Focus	Added to QMS 2
Measurement, Analysis & Improvement and Process Focus	Added to QMS 3
Leadership and Strategic Planning	Added to QMS 4
Overall Final Report including summary and presentation
Benefits and value to the organization	20
Resources needed to implement	20
Implementation process	20
Timeline for implementation	20
Impact to organization and culture	20
Convincing to management	20
SHows depth of understanding of quality management system	20
POWERPOINT presentation
Quality of slides	10
Impact of presentation	10
Content of presentation	10
Final QMS Report TOTAL	200