This fall, QAD EQMS takes a major leap forward with the release of v2024.1. QAD EQMS already has world-class capabilities to improve your bottom-line by reducing costs of quality. This latest version delivers powerful new features and capabilities designed to streamline quality processes, improve compliance, and boost efficiency of improving your bottom-line across your organization. We would like to thank those customers who engaged with us throughout our development cycle providing input and feedback on these new features. We focused on four fundamental themes:

• Compliance features for Automotive and Medical Device manufacturers
• Data Loading was greatly expanded to support most tables and custom fields
• Visualizations throughout our modules to improve efficiency and comprehension
• SCAR improvements to visibility and oversight

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Compliance

Automotive Industry Updates

• Challenge: The automotive industry is evolving with updated APQP (3rd Edition) and new Control Plan (1st Edition) manuals from AIAG. Compliance is mandated by industry giants like Ford, GM, and Stellantis in 2024.
• Solution: QAD EQMS v2024.1 rises to the challenge with enhanced controls for New Product Introduction (NPI) projects. This includes:
  • Documenting key resources for informed cross-functional decisions.
  • Improved planning rigor to mitigate risks and enhance predictability.
  • Access to historical information for continuous improvement.
  • Strengthened NPI Project Risk Management with prescribed checklists for both project and supplier risk mitigation.
• Business Value: Enhanced program management with robust risk assessment, gated management, and performance monitoring aligned with APQP. Streamlined sourcing processes with a focus on the sourcing stage, risk checklists and gated management of sub-tiers.
• Expected Customer Outcomes: Achieve compliance effortlessly, experience more predictable NPIs, and minimize risk exposure.

Life Sciences Enhancements

• Challenge: Medical device customers face the demanding task of maintaining Design History Files (DHFs), often struggling with manual processes and disparate systems to bring all the related documentation together in one place.
• Solution: QAD EQMS v2024.1 introduces template-based electronic Design History File (eDHF) support, developed in collaboration with three EQMS Life Sciences customers.
• Business Value: Efficiently build and maintain eDHFs within a unified system that houses all related artifacts.
• Expected Customer Outcomes: Effortlessly create and manage DHF changes within EQMS, enhancing efficiency and minimizing manual effort.

Data Loading

• Challenge: Previous versions had limitations in data loading capabilities, requiring costly custom migration scripts and restricting loading into new extended fields.
• Solution: QAD EQMS v2024.1 introduces a powerful embedded utility that eliminates the need for custom scripts. This SaaS-based tool, integrated into Admintools, supports virtually any table and extended fields. As new business processes are added, the tool dynamically adapts by reading the metadatabase.
• Business Value: Significant reduction in implementation costs and faster time-to-value. Enhanced self-service capabilities for greater user autonomy.
• Expected Customer Outcomes: Minimize data loading issues, populate new extended fields seamlessly, and empower customers to utilize internal resources effectively.

Visualizations

• Challenge: Traditional text-based information can be inefficient and challenging to interpret especially with language barriers.
• Solution: QAD EQMS v2024.1 introduces powerful visualizations to enhance communication and understanding:
  • Gantt Charts for NPI Projects: Visualize project timelines, compare baseline and actual timing to measure performance, and track projected timing against the baseline to drive completion and improvement.
  • Image Integration: Link an array of images (zero to n) to any record, providing flexibility in capturing visual information.
  • Embedded Video Streaming: Leverage YouTube or MP4 URLs to embed instructional videos directly within key areas of the system.
• Business Value: Communicate information more effectively and improve comprehension of complex concepts and standards.
• Expected Customer Outcomes: Facilitate easier learning, reduce errors, and enhance overall user experience.

SCARs (Supplier Corrective Action Requests)

• Challenge: Previous SCAR processes lacked sufficient notifications for timely responses, a formal verification step, separate approval for disposition/containment, and the ability to identify Occurrence, Escape, and Systemic root cause and corrective action.
• Solution: QAD EQMS v2024.1 strengthens SCAR management with improved notifications and workflow, providing greater visibility and oversight of supplier responses.
• Business Value: Notifications drive progress and accountability. Enhanced 8D-like rigor and workflow for effective problem resolution.
• Expected Customer Outcomes: Ensure timely SCAR responses, gain clear visibility into SCAR progress, and improve oversight and approval of supplier plans, ultimately driving greater effectivity.

QAD EQMS v2024.1 empowers your organization to achieve new levels of quality excellence. With its comprehensive enhancements, this release addresses key industry challenges, streamlines processes, and provides the tools you need to thrive in today’s dynamic manufacturing landscape.

Learn more about QAD EQMS v2024.1 and how it can benefit your organization by visiting our website or contacting our sales team. If you are interested in contributing input to the future of QAD EQMS please consider the following:

• To submit ideas for future capabilities or improvements, please submit to our Idea Portal.
• If you are interested in providing input in future development phases, please contact Brian Brooks ([email protected]).