Title: A quality management training system concerning ISO standards for sustainable organisational change in SMEs

Authors: Nunzio Casalino; Alessandro D’Atri; Alessio Maria Braccini

Addresses: DSEA – Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche ed Aziendali, Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi, Rome, Italy ' CeRSI – Research Centre on Information Systems, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy ' CeRSI – Research Centre on Information Systems, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present and discuss the benefits of online training in quality control and quality management for professionals and managers of small medium enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, this paper is an attempt to understand how this training can contribute to the improvement of SMEs’ activities and the achievement of their business performance objectives. This kind of training includes topics such as managing quality, quality processes, auditing, total quality, ISO standards, fault proofing, an adaptive learning culture and sustainable change management. This work describes the main predicted benefits according to the results of a European project which aimed to create and validate an online platform which was related to the field of quality management to provide effective quality training for SMEs. The international standards covered by this project are: ISO 9001 (quality management systems), ISO 14001 (environmental management systems) and HACCP (hazard analysis and control of the critical points).

Keywords: QMS; quality management systems; online training; quality control; managerial learning; SME business performance; decision making; learning methodologies; e-learning; organisational learning; electronic learning; online learning; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; auditing; total quality; ISO standards; fault proofing; adaptive learning; sustainable change management; ISO 9001; ISO 14001; environmental management; hazard control.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2012.044010

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2012 Vol.9 No.1, pp.25 - 45

Published online: 31 Oct 2014 *

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