Efficiency, cost reduction, and competitiveness are keys to successful management. In order to combine these objectives with the excellent scientific results, DLR establishes an integrated corporate management system, the so called “basic system”, providing a sustainable basis for individual management systems of DLR’s institutes and establishments.
Regularly performed audits inside DLR ensure continuous development and improvement, taking into account standard requirements according to the daily work of quality representatives and auditors. Besides, the performance of audits inside the institutes and establishments has always been the goal of seeking ways to improve, thus to increase continuously the quality level in DLR. By pooling activities, communicating examples for “best practice processes”, and identifying risks at an early stage, transparency can be generated, synergies and resources will be used in an efficient way, and a common understanding of quality can be created.
The smooth running of this systematic review of the management systems is guaranteed by the support auf the Audit Section. On one hand, it co-ordinates internal and external audits, on the other hand, it is taking care of intensive training and the qualification of auditors thus to gain and increase in-house competences. The objective of the DLR auditors is to evaluate individual management systems in terms of their compatibility to the underlying standards and DLR’s “basic system” to identify opportunities for improvement and prepare the institutes and facilities effectively for external audits.
The long-term objective of operating management systems in DLR’s institutes and establishments is to set quality standards in a scientific environment, to be perceived as a benchmark for outstanding research results on high level and thus to achieve significant competitive advantages for DLR.