The Challenges of Developing and Integrating a Quality Management System in a Research and Development Organization

Tailoring a quality management system to the specific needs of an organization is difficult to say the least. The existence of quality system models and standards help facilitate this process immensely. However, what does an organization do when its work is so unique that quality system models and standards do not exist for it? This and other obstacles are what the Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and International Security (NAI) Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) encountered during strategic initiatives to develop and integrate a new quality management system. This paper will answer this question to help similar initiatives by: Introducing NAI and its unique mission, organization, history, culture and the security environment in which it operates; Examining the obstacles to designing and integrating NAI's quality management system; Discussing the steps taken to ensure success of the strategic quality initiatives; Presenting the quality management system and plan that resulted from these efforts; Presenting the improvements in NAI and LLNL that resulted from these strategic initiatives; and Presenting lessons learned and practical recommendations.