Factor #3: Web-Based vs. Web-Enabled

An EQMS enables teams from different geographies and operational areas to collaborate better by leveraging next-generation technologies. However, it is necessary to understand whether the EQMS is web-based or web-enabled. There are three key factors that come into play here: cost, continuity and convenience.

Your organization’s quality management software provides a 360-degree solution to track key quality events across various business processes. It also provides as a reliable source of data to track supplier and customer metrics. Almost all quality systems on the market today (including most legacy systems) have a web-based component to track key metrics in real-time, from anywhere.

But, it is important to understand whether the software needs middleware to connect to the Internet or whether it can be accessed directly from anywhere on any browser with appropriate authentication.

The question is: What should one opt for, web-based or web-enabled?

The answer is direct: While some unique needs of your organization may require you to opt for web-enabled, web-based is better in most cases.

What are some of the advantages of web-based software?

• Web-based software does not need third party tools or additional infrastructure, making it cost effective and simpler to use, manage and maintain. In web-enabled software, middleware is needed to access it online, and certainly also needs dedicated infrastructure.
• Secondly, with appropriate authentication and authorization, anyone can access it from anywhere. Web-based or a SaaS-based EQMS is built on the real cloud from the ground up, taking advantage of all inherent features of cloud-based solution.
• Thirdly, database is centralized, making querying and reporting easy. Therefore, it becomes the single source of quality data and metrics.
• The need for third-party tools or middleware can affect functionality, flexibility and efficiency of web-enabled software. Most importantly, any discontinuation of the middleware can affect its workflow.

What about speed and security?

• Multiple users can access the software at the same time without impacting the speed in any way

Can web-based software work with legacy systems?

• It can talk to legacy systems, thus protecting the existing investments and leveraging historical data to gain insights and improve analytics.

At ComplianceQuest, we’ve built our product on the #RealCloud with all the benefits of the modern cloud, including security. Please write to us at [email protected] to request for a demo.

• ‘Factor 8’: A blog series to help you pick the right EQMS
• The CX Factor
• Factor #4: Next-Generation Dashboards
• Factor #5: Modules & Solutions: Where Breadth & Depth co-exist
• Factor #6: Scalability
• Factor #7: The ROI of deploying an EQMS
• Factor #8: A Team that Intuitively understands Quality