Where does the Quality Manager fit into the Aviation Organisation? Well, the Quality Manager is responsible for the delivery of an effective QA system. Interestingly, there is a great deal of regulatory requirements written around the responsibility of the Quality Manager and a lot less regarding the responsibility of the post holders to deliver effective quality control.
To deliver an effective quality system requires a fundamental understanding and recognition of the differences between Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Safety Management and who is responsible for delivering the various elements.
QC is the key to success is to set and manage the company standards, making regulatory compliance an easier goal to achieve. There are three steps to this. The first is management of the documentation to ensure the procedures are necessary effective and efficient; the second, but just as important, is the understanding of these procedures by the workforce to include, where necessary, appropriate training; and the third is the management of competencies to ensure the staff are qualified, capable and, indeed, motivated to deliver the process required in an effective way. Unless the organisation has effective control of these elements it is fighting with one arm behind its back.
It should also be accepted that to promote effective QC, the process and procedures must belong to the post holder or line manager, even though the Accountable Manager holds ultimate responsibility. This retains the independence of the audit, but, more importantly, ownership of the procedure is an intrinsic element of delivering effective quality control. The process is overseen by and is usually delivered through company controlled documentation manuals forms and procedures, such as Ops Man Gen Part A, Maintenance Organisation Exposition and Continuing Airworthiness Maintenance Exposition.
For further information please visit www.sassofia.com or email office@sassofia.com
