When it comes to management systems, the professional press almost always focuses on quality managers, process owners, and managing directors. Fair enough—these roles are absolutely essential to a company. But let’s face it: the vast majority of employees are neither managers nor QM professionals. Just like me. And to be completely honest, I’m not particularly interested in the latest revision of ISO 9001 or its associated certificate. Still, our managers rely on the participation of every single employee to ensure quality and process management runs smoothly—and audits go well. So, what’s in it for the rest of us?
For most employees, the real value of quality and process management lies in the management system—assuming it’s properly maintained. That’s why, to me, the interactive management system is the queen of all systems. Not because it’s about ticking boxes for the next certificate, but because it’s about facilitating real communication and collaboration across the company. The certificate? Just a nice bonus.
The cheat sheet for everyday work
Most of you know the drill: you start your workday by powering on your PC. Then it’s Teams, Outlook—and in my case, the browser to log in to our interactive management system. Usually, there are already new notifications waiting for me: updates to processes, new tasks, or approval requests. On my personal page, I check what’s next. A traffic light system helps me prioritize my to-dos. Often, I already have the right process description or work instruction saved in my favorites. If not, I’ll find it quickly via search.
The process descriptions in our system are structured like recipes—step-by-step guides enriched with images, videos, and links to other systems. They make complex tasks manageable and support me throughout my day. If I notice a step is outdated or find a better way to do it, I simply edit the process and trigger an approval request. Every team member has this option, which keeps our processes current—and that’s pure gold in day-to-day work!
Task completed? I mark it as done and everyone involved gets automatically notified. Need input or have an idea? I just log it as a task or info post in the system.
Participation builds ownership
Many companies still haven’t realized this:
When employees can actively contribute ideas, help shape rules, and access information from other teams, they start to identify more with company processes. They’re more motivated, more engaged, and more efficient. Cross-team collaboration also improves dramatically.
At Modell Aachen, these effects are clearly felt. It’s genuinely fun to work here—and that’s not just because of the great team, but also thanks to the transparency our interactive management system enables.
More than just QM and process management
Especially for tasks I don’t perform daily, I’m grateful for our process descriptions. Honestly, I don’t understand why every company hasn’t adopted an interactive management system yet. It eases the workload for quality and process managers—and for the rest of us, it’s an invaluable support system.
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