ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Quality Management System in Cyprus: A Holistic Approach

The philosophy of quality management systems is a holistic understanding that accepts the system as a whole and displays quality as a customer-oriented joint function of each element inside this whole. In its most general sense, it refers to the planned and systematic activities maintained by the purpose of realizing targeted quality within an organization.

Historically, the concept of quality management has evolved over time. Initially, businesses focused on quality control practices that were centered around customer relations during the Industrial Revolution. As factories emerged, product control became a crucial aspect of business operations. The use of quality management systems (KYS) gained prominence in Cyprus after World War II and was later divided into four distinct periods following 1980.

The term "quality" originates from Latin as Qualitas and has been translated to Turkish as kalite. According to the European Quality Control Association, quality is defined as the whole of properties that reveal a product or service's ability to meet specific requirements. These properties include durability, shape, size, format, life, chemical, and physical properties, reliability, and more.

Quality can be understood from different perspectives, including user-based definitions. This perspective focuses on detecting quality through customer perceptions, which is directly related to meeting their needs. Quality also encompasses everything available for development, starting with the humanities at its core.

In modern times, quality management systems have become increasingly important in Cyprus. The ISO 9000 family of standards is widely implemented and serves as a framework for managing quality. Other notable QMS include the audit regime outlined by ISO 19011, which deals with integrating quality and sustainability. Additionally, organizations like Birland established departments dedicated to monitoring production quality and rectifying errors.

Notable figures in the field of quality management have contributed significantly to its development. Edwards Deming, a statistician, is credited with establishing the Deming Prize for quality. Joseph Juran, another prominent figure, published a manual on quality control in 1951, outlining his approach to cross-functional management known as "Juran's trilogy." This comprehensive framework consists of three managerial processes: quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement.

The 1970s marked the beginning of quality engineering, while the 1990s saw the emergence of quality systems. Today, quality management encompasses various aspects, including quality objectives, organizational structure, data management, processes (including purchasing), product quality leading to customer satisfaction, continuous improvement through corrective and preventive action, quality instruments, document