Cloud vs On-premise QMS: Which is the Right Document Control Model for Your Company?

With the proliferation of the internet, companies are coming into contact with more and more consumers. As a result, the importance of the Quality Management System (QMS) is growing. QMS is a system that ensures quality assurance, such as document control, is present in an organization.

And when it comes to choosing the right Quality Management System, it is essential to do your research and understand what type of model is right for your company. With that, let’s compare On-premise and Cloud-based QMS and how any of these two can be the right document control model for your company.

On-premise software is installed and maintained on the company's premises rather than relying on a cloud-based solution. The On-premise software is updated daily, which means there is a greater chance of catching a potential issue right away. Furthermore, the following are the features On-premise QMS software can offer:

When you choose an On-premise QMS software, you choose a system with the potential for less downtime and uptime. With the On-premise software, you can make changes to the system and customize it to suit your needs. You can create strategic applications that are more secure and will allow your business to maintain the level of control that cloud-based solutions cannot.

When it comes to software, it's important to ensure that your company is operating in the most optimized way. This means that you need to ensure that the software you use is the best and licensed to operate within the premises of your organizations – which generally gives greater protection than relying on a cloud computing infrastructure.

On-premise QMS is software that helps businesses in industries with high regulatory requirements like life sciences, financial services, and governments. Also, On-premise software provides a centralized process where teams share the responsibilities of quality and risk management.

The decisions are primarily made for businesses in highly-regulated industries because what’s safer than in-house servers and IT infrastructure that can give peace of mind?

Cloud-based QMS is a type of software that runs on a cloud-computing platform and provides a centralized, mobile-ready interface for data, processes, and quality control. It is a web-based, self-service solution that automates the data collection and processing activities of a quality management system. This leads to improved productivity and efficiency.

Cloud-computing providers offer their “services” according to different models, of which the three standard models per NIST are:

Most cloud-based QMS applications are offered to consumers as a Software as a service (SaaS) solution on a subscription basis. Cloud-based QMS software allows for smoother integration with your company’s existing systems, such as ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems, and can be easily accessed from any device. The following are some reasons why you should choose Cloud-based QMS software for your company:

Cloud-based QMS is becoming more popular for companies that don’t have the budget for On-premise systems. They are cheaper than the latter because cloud solutions can be used as a subscription service, meaning they don't require paid licenses or expensive hardware. They can also be accessed from anywhere and are updated automatically. The Cloud solution is also a way to streamline your operations and collect data in real-time.

What’s more, Cloud-based QMS will cut the costs of the resources to maintain and manage the hardware for your software. And if there’s no hardware for you to take care of, then there’s no need for you to hire technical staff to take care of it – resulting in financial excess in the long run.

Cloud services allow you to test the software before you buy it. This helps you determine how well the Cloud-based solution works for your business.

Furthermore, Cloud-based QMS provides many benefits, including easy access from any device, taking up less space, and the ability to work with multiple people. And when you get a demo of a cloud-based QMS, you will be able to see how quickly it works with your team and how it can be integrated into your current processes.

The cloud-based QMS is a new way of managing quality, it's considered the future of quality management. It allows companies to take advantage of cloud-based technologies to provide a next-generation quality management solution that is flexible, scalable, and connected.

By using such a system, companies can quickly develop and launch new products, processes, and services that improve the quality of the whole supply chain. Using Cloud services is a modern solution to the problem of managing quality in a digital era.

Cloud-based QMS is an effective, cheaper option for most companies. This is because the Cloud-based QMS has a faster start-up time and easy integration into the business system – without requiring any enterprise to buy hardware themselves. It is also more compatible with mobile devices, allowing you to monitor it anywhere you can, compared to On-premise solutions. Cost savings is a huge factor to consider.

When it comes to expandability, Cloud-based QMS also gets the advantage. You see, Cloud-based QMS systems are how you can easily scale your business without having to worry about the headaches of traditional on-premise systems. It allows your business to expand easily to new locations while maintaining a high security level.

The Cloud-based software will grow and adapt to your needs. Unlike On-premise QMS, which can’t keep pace with the needs of your business due to the limitations of its storage, memory, bandwidth, and hardware.

When using On-premises systems that use a real-time data collection and processing method, you will be able to see critical events right away. You’ll also be able to make adjustments and see how they affect the overall performance. This gives On-premise QMS the advantage of visibility.

Furthermore, there are instances that Cloud-based QMS can create blind spots and hindrances that can affect your company's performance – a disadvantage you’ll never experience with a reliable On-premise QMS.

However, Cloud solutions give a company the ability to enable access worldwide – whether it’s an authorized user or a business partner. And if you can do that, you can get meaningful insights with your software anytime, which allows your employees to respond speedily to a crisis.

QMS is a system that helps to manage your quality management process. It is a system that manages your quality control, quality improvement, and quality assurance process, designed to help businesses improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their production processes.

When deciding whether to use an On-premise or a cloud-based QMS, it is important to consider the pros and cons of each option.

If you are looking for a QMS solution that will provide the most flexibility and a lower cost, you'll want to go with the Cloud-based option.

However, if you are looking for a QMS that will offer faster response times and more control, you'll want to go with the On-premise option.

What criteria do you use when choosing between a cloud and an on-premise Quality Management System?