Beyond certification: QMS implementation roadmap for technology startups

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate the benefits of a Quality Management System beyond a quality standard certification for technology start-ups operating in the B2B model. The study is grounded in the role of quality management in improving strategic alignment in these scaling start-ups considering the change in their organisation context rather than adopting a best practice approach, focused on compliance. The initial focus was to develop a QMS which would support, the startup company, ReVibe Energy’s scaling strategy, and also to investigate the certification process. Discovering limited existing research and practical examples around the topic, a qualitative and abductive research strategy was adopted. The results were based on, empirical data from ReVibe Energy, six case studies established on observations, interviews and document analysis complemented with theoretical framework. It is concluded that a start-up’s contingency variables (external: environment uncertainty, customer requirements and internal: strategy, culture and customer type) interact with Quality Management (QM) practices and help shape strategic alignment between start-ups and their surrounding environment. QM practices in turn should not be designed with the best practice approach, rather be classified into Quality Assurance: focused on conformance to requirements and standards, Total Quality Control: focused on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement and Total Quality Learning: focused on organisational learning and continuous innovation. The result to ReVibe Energy is presented in the form of a roadmap for a QMS to support strategic alignment while scaling and also achieve quality certification to the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard.