MCS Quality Management System

Loyd · Aug 31, 2010

I have submitted my application to the NICEIC for MCS.

I have a Health and Safety Handbook and appropriate method satements and risk assessments. What I do not have is a Quality Management System. I don't want to write this myself from scratch and so need a template to work from.

I am sure many of you were in the same boat. Did you buy/beg/steal/borrow a QMS template? If so where from and would you recommend it?

Loyd

Markc · Sep 1, 2010

Hi Loyd,

Your not going to be able to buy this as it is bespoke to your company and methods of work. No one can tell you how to do your processes.

The QCS is best described as a manual to hand to a complete stranger on how to run your business while you go on holiday! Outrageous I know but that was how it was described to me.

Think about how you are going to or do handle every item from first customer contact to hand over and registering. What controls you have in place for customer care, complaints. Product checks and delivery. What source of information are available and how to check and source sub contractors etc. Think about every step of the works, what information you need and need to give. Where to find this information and detail where it is kept (in crate under bed for example!) How you will review the information and how often. Detail date and version number on it also to identify updates etc.

Having done ours some 12 months ago we review every 3 months but in practice its reviewed every time we add or change suppliers or products etc. It doesn't take much if saved on a PC.

Its not as hard as you may think and it doesn't have to be war and peace!

PM me if you need guidance or even to review one you have written, I'd be happy to do so but having written ours I'm not going to pass it out or write one for someone else, Sorry! Not that it would be relevant to how YOU do things.

Mark

Loyd · Sep 2, 2010

Hi Mark

I'm know I'm sticking my neck out here I know because I haven't been through MCS but .....

My reasoning runs like this. There have to be many common processes and standard documents used by all Domestic PV Installers. Currently, like most prospective MCS Installers, I have little experience of installing Solar PV. If 10 of us started from scratch in producing those processess and documents we would come up with 10 different versions, some parts of which would be brilliant, other parts would be total tosh.

If we were to pull all the best bits together we would get close to Best Practice processes that we could adapt to our own busineses.

It's that Best Practice starting point that i'm looking for.

I may be wasting my money but I have booked myself on to the National Energy Foundation / Solar Trade Association course. More info here NEF | MCS - Microgeneration Certification Scheme Made Easy Course. I wouldn't use their Quality Management System unchanged, but it looks like it is a good model.

The course is next Wednesday in Manchester - I'll let you know after the course whether I have wasted my time and money.

Markc · Sep 2, 2010

Good luck with the course. Let us know how you get on. Would be interseting to know.

I understand your reasoning regarding the QCS. Pulling all the best bits together may still not be how you will do things and unless your QCM resembles what you do then it will be of no relevance. We had only done two installations when we formed our first QCM but what we produced was relevant to our use at that time. Once we increased installations we updated the QCM as required by adding bits in and changing others. If you show a fully loaded QCM on first inspection you may be asked to demonstrate how you implement it. As I was told the QCM for British Gas would be no use to our two man band company.

I have seen companies advertising manuals made bespoke for you but I don't know the cost and when amendments need to be made whether they have to do them as well or if they let you have a digital draft copy.

Martin Dawes · Sep 14, 2010

I've not gone through MCS assessment yet but we we're looking at using software from Welcome to Complete Picture to organise customers, risk assessments and hopefully satisfy QMS requirements. Worth having a look at.

Loyd · Sep 14, 2010

The National Energy Foundation/Solar Trade Association 'MCS Made Easy' course is very good.

The course was delivered by a MCS Assessor - an external contractor to BRE. She had been involved in the renewable energy business for 20 years and knew the ropes. She overcome any conflict of interest by being outside the BRE organisation and by making sure that she did not assess any company that had been on one of her courses.

The course provided just what I was looking for - it took us through a best practice quality management process manual containing document templates to address the basic requirements of MCS. NEF claim is that without their template, creating an MCS Quality Management System will take ~20 man days. Tailoring the 'MCS Made Easy' templates to the requirements of your business they claim will take ~ 1 day. As they provide CD containing templates in word format with your company name and other key data already merged, this is a fair claim.

The added bonus is that we can adapt the processes and templates to improve the management of our existing business.

I'm just waiting for the final CD with our personalised templates. I will keep you informed of progress.

EWebster · Sep 21, 2010

Martin Dawes said:
I've not gone through MCS assessment yet but we we're looking at using software from Welcome to Complete Picture to organise customers, risk assessments and hopefully satisfy QMS requirements. Worth having a look at.

Hi Martin,

Have you used the software? If so, did it meet your expectations?

Regards

Euan

Martin Dawes · Sep 21, 2010

I've not used the software yet. I'm going to do the QMS course to make sure I'm as well prepared for the visit as possible. After that, I will reassess whether making a purchase is a good idea or not.

mcs helper · Sep 29, 2010

i can help

Martin Dawes · Sep 30, 2010

Great. Any help would be a great benefit to many of us, I'm sure.

Treadwarm · Dec 20, 2010

Hi Mark,

I am just looking at getting my MCS in place for PV but do not have the time or knowledge to create a QMS, I have heard of a company called easymcs Cost & Pain Free MCS Installer Accreditation & Certification

they seem to produce a QMS bespoke for your company and mentor you through the process. I have spoken to a few people and these guys seem to be the biggest in the market at the moment, do you know much if anything about them? they have said the cost is £495 which when you consider a course is generally £150 and then a day not installing is another £250 + i would still have to build it with most of these seminars i think it is a good deal?

They have also offered a £50 discount to mcs assessment with NIC EIC do you know if this is legitimate?

Markc · Dec 20, 2010

Sorry I don't know anything about them. I built our own QMS from scratch.

Treadwarm · Dec 20, 2010

Thanks Mark, I have spoken to a friend of mine and they have used easy mcs and he has confirmed it's the one in Cost & Pain Free MCS Installer Accreditation & Certification and he passed in two weeks and they produced the full qms and took him from start to finish so I think I will have a go with them. Shall I let u know how I get on? Do u reccomend any certification bodies?

accordfire · Dec 20, 2010

Posts on QMS from a week or two ago:

http://www.electriciansforums.net/photovoltaic-solar-panels-green-energy-forum/26243-quality-managment-system.html

It may help.

accordfire · Dec 20, 2010

Loyd said:
I have submitted my application to the NICEIC for MCS.

I have a Health and Safety Handbook and appropriate method satements and risk assessments. What I do not have is a Quality Management System. I don't want to write this myself from scratch and so need a template to work from.

I am sure many of you were in the same boat. Did you buy/beg/steal/borrow a QMS template? If so where from and would you recommend it?

Loyd

The problem with stealing, begging, or borrowing other QMS's, as stated, is that it isn't specific to your business, and will force you into doing things in ways you don't work.

Far, far better to document the processes you currently follow, keeping it as simple as you can, while covering everything.

Draw flowchart diagrams to start with, and take it from there.

I've stuck up a link to another conversation about this, only a week or so ago.