The latest revision, ISO 9001:2008 – which has just been published – has a greater focus on how companies meet customer needs, integrate those needs into the operation and evaluate customer feedback (see sidebar after article). It is the most extensive overhaul of the standard yet and requires top-level management leadership. The new updated standard is based on eight fundamental “best practices” that all organizations should have integrated into their business if they intend to keep up with their competition.Improved customer relations are only one of a number of benefits of adopting such a company-wide quality system. Following ISO 9001 improves communications both inside and outside the firm. It reduces rework, scrap and product returns. It builds better supplier relationships through improved communications and feedback. An ISO 9001 system helps to create a reliable system for documenting procedures, which helps set performance expectations, promote consistency and can reduce new employee training time.
The greatest obstacle to adopting an ISO 9001 quality system is understanding what compliance to the standard really means, and then implementing the requirements in a simple and easy-to-use system. Because the standard can be applied across all industries, a first step for most companies is deciding what parts of the standard apply and identifying where any system already in place needs to be improved or modified. Many companies get stuck trying to fit the standard to their situation rather than implementing the basic controls and checks/balances that ISO looks for. Here the experience of plastics professionals can help a moldmaker/molder by clarifying which requirements are needed, what areas are to be placed under document control, and the easiest methods to show evidence of quality related activities.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
ISO 9001 Quality management and quality assurance
ISO 90001 is primarily concerned with quality management. The definition of “quality” in ISO 90001 refers to all those features of a product or a service which are required by the customer. Quality management means what the organization does to ensure that its products conform to the customer’s requirements.
ISO Guide 34:1996 Quality system guidelines for the production of reference materials
ISO 8402:1994 Quality management and quality assurance — Vocabulary
ISO 9000-1:1994 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 1: Guidelines for selection and use
ISO 9000-2:1997 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 2: Generic guidelines for the application of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003
ISO 9000-3:1997 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 3: Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:1994 to the development, supply, installation and maintenance of computer software
ISO 9000-4:1993 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 4: Guide to dependability program management
ISO 9001:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing
ISO 9002:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in production, installation and servicing
ISO 9003:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in final inspection and test
ISO 9004-1:1994 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 1: Guidelines
ISO 9004-2:1991 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 2: Guidelines for services
ISO 9004-3:1993 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 3: Guidelines for processed materials
ISO 9004-4:1993 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 4: Guidelines for quality Improvement
ISO Guide 34:1996 Quality system guidelines for the production of reference materials
ISO 8402:1994 Quality management and quality assurance — Vocabulary
ISO 9000-1:1994 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 1: Guidelines for selection and use
ISO 9000-2:1997 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 2: Generic guidelines for the application of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003
ISO 9000-3:1997 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 3: Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:1994 to the development, supply, installation and maintenance of computer software
ISO 9000-4:1993 Quality management and quality assurance standards — Part 4: Guide to dependability program management
ISO 9001:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing
ISO 9002:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in production, installation and servicing
ISO 9003:1994 Quality systems — Model for quality assurance in final inspection and test
ISO 9004-1:1994 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 1: Guidelines
ISO 9004-2:1991 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 2: Guidelines for services
ISO 9004-3:1993 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 3: Guidelines for processed materials
ISO 9004-4:1993 Quality management and quality system elements — Part 4: Guidelines for quality Improvement
ISO 9001 Quality Standards
In 1987, mounting concern on global quality issues led the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, to establish a series of international quality standards. Called the ISO 9000 Series of Standards, the series is not specific to any one industry, but when used with proper industry-specific standards, helps build a strong foundation for a quality system. The idea behind ISO is to promote standardization which will facilitate the international exchange of goods and services.
Currently, ISO 9000 certification is voluntary and not required or mandated in any country. However, the European community has recently required that quality systems of many suppliers of products related to health, safety, and the environment be formally registered, by a third party, according to the ISO 9001 Standard. This action has made adoption of the ISO 9001 standards a prerequisite for doing business in Europe. Countries in Asia, Africa, and South America are more and more considering adoption of these standards as a means to increased trade among themselves and the United States. Over 20,000 companies have been registered worldwide, and at least 52 nations are implementing the standards.
In the U.S., the ISO 9000 Series of Standards was adopted in precise format as the ANSI/ASQC Q90 series of standards. The series comprises five individual, but related, international standards on quality management and quality assurance, known as ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004. For a company’s quality system to become registered in one or more of these standards involves having an accredited, independent third party conduct an audit of the company’s operations against the requirements of the ISO 9001 standards. Upon successful completion of this audit, the company will receive a registration certificate that identifies its quality system as being in compliance with ISO 9001 standards.
Currently, ISO 9000 certification is voluntary and not required or mandated in any country. However, the European community has recently required that quality systems of many suppliers of products related to health, safety, and the environment be formally registered, by a third party, according to the ISO 9001 Standard. This action has made adoption of the ISO 9001 standards a prerequisite for doing business in Europe. Countries in Asia, Africa, and South America are more and more considering adoption of these standards as a means to increased trade among themselves and the United States. Over 20,000 companies have been registered worldwide, and at least 52 nations are implementing the standards.
In the U.S., the ISO 9000 Series of Standards was adopted in precise format as the ANSI/ASQC Q90 series of standards. The series comprises five individual, but related, international standards on quality management and quality assurance, known as ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004. For a company’s quality system to become registered in one or more of these standards involves having an accredited, independent third party conduct an audit of the company’s operations against the requirements of the ISO 9001 standards. Upon successful completion of this audit, the company will receive a registration certificate that identifies its quality system as being in compliance with ISO 9001 standards.
ISO 9001 – Benefits and Problems
ISO 9000 has received much publicity. Some managers see it as a prerequisite for conducting business. For others, it substitutes for the difficulties and vagaries of Total Quality Management (TQM). Some see only a needless bureaucratic boondoggle. Depending on the situation, any of these views might be correct.
Sensibly applied, ISO 9000 is a qualifier for international markets or specific domestic customers. Certification can be a valuable marketing tool. The standards are a sound blueprint for a quality system. They can lead the way to the more difficult and sophisticated approaches of Total Quality Management. ISO 9000 can improve a company’s cost structure by 5%-20%.
Approached unwisely, ISO 9000 can be costly and unproductive. It may create a quality bureaucracy which adds to the cost structure and slows product development. It can focus people on paperwork instead of customers. It can divert management concentration and energy from more vital issues.
Sensibly applied, ISO 9000 is a qualifier for international markets or specific domestic customers. Certification can be a valuable marketing tool. The standards are a sound blueprint for a quality system. They can lead the way to the more difficult and sophisticated approaches of Total Quality Management. ISO 9000 can improve a company’s cost structure by 5%-20%.
Approached unwisely, ISO 9000 can be costly and unproductive. It may create a quality bureaucracy which adds to the cost structure and slows product development. It can focus people on paperwork instead of customers. It can divert management concentration and energy from more vital issues.
Revising the ISO 9001 Quality Manual
Revising the ISO 9000 quality procedures and the ISO 9000 quality manual should be a normal part of the ever-improving ISO 9000 quality system. These revisions can reach from small corrections to a total makeover of the entire ISO 9000 quality system. If you find your company’s ISO 9000 system to be bureaucratic and cumbersome, if you find your employees completely negative about ISO 9000, and if you end up extensively preparing for each audit, then your ISO 9000 system has plenty of opportunities for improvement and you should consider a complete makeover.
Problems related to ISO 9000It is not uncommon to find employees with negative opinions on ISO 9001. Most of them complain about excessive bureaucracy, much paperwork and extra work before audits. At the same time, they feel that there are no benefits to ISO 9001.
These problems are not the fault of ISO 9001 – these problems result from the way the ISO 9001 quality management system was implemented!
Problems related to ISO 9000It is not uncommon to find employees with negative opinions on ISO 9001. Most of them complain about excessive bureaucracy, much paperwork and extra work before audits. At the same time, they feel that there are no benefits to ISO 9001.
These problems are not the fault of ISO 9001 – these problems result from the way the ISO 9001 quality management system was implemented!
ISO 9000 Documentation
ISO 9001 requires several different documents: a quality manual, quality procedures, a quality policy and quality objectives; in addition, ISO 9001 requires work instructions that provide detailed guidelines to employees on how to perform their work. However, the ISO 9001 standard is very clear that work instructions need only be created where they add value (for example, a trained painter will not find value in instructions on how to paint; on the other hand, brief instructions (possibly in form of pictures), displayed right on a machine, explaining how to replace a filter could be a great time saver). Forms, which must be kept on file after they are filled in, are also part of any ISO 9001 quality management system. Some of the most typical forms are the Corrective Action Report Form, the Employee Review Form, and the Customer Survey. It is important to note that ISO 9001 does not directly require these forms; however, ISO 9001 calls for recording certain information and a well-designed form not only requires the information but it also walks the user through the process.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Scope Of The Quality Management System
Scope Of The Quality Management System
The ISO 9001 standard requires the quality manual to include the scope of the quality management system including details of justification for any exclusion. The standard addresses activities that may not be relevant or applicable to an organization. The permissible exclusions are explained in section 1.2 of ISO 9001. Here it states that the organization may only exclude requirements that neither affect the organization’s ability, nor its responsibility to provide product that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements. The requirements for which exclusion is permitted are limited to those in section 7 of the standard.
Under ISO 9001:2008, it was possible for organizations to exclude functions and processes of their organization that may have been difficult to control or were not part of the order fulfilment cycle. Organizations that designed their own products but not for specific customers could escape bringing these operations into the management system. Marketing was omitted because it operated before placement of order. Accounting, Administration, Maintenance, Publicity, Public Relations and After Sales Support functions were often omitted because there were no requirements in the standard that specifically dealt with such activities. As there is no function in an organization that does not directly or indirectly serve the satisfaction of interested parties, it is unlikely that any function or process will now be excluded from the quality management system.
It is sensible to describe the scope of the quality management system so as to ensure effective communication. The scope of the quality management system is one area that generates a lot of misunderstanding particularly when dealing with auditors, consultants and customers. When you claim you have a management system that meets ISO 9001 it could imply that you design, develop, install and service the products you supply, when in fact you may only be a distributor. Why you need to justify specific exclusions is uncertain because it is more practical to justify inclusions.
The scope of the quality management system is the scope of the organization. There is no longer any reason to exclude locations, activities, functions or processes for which there is no requirement in the standard. The reason is because the ISO 9000 family now serves customer satisfaction and is not limited to quality assurance as were the 1994 versions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003.
It is not appropriate to address exclusions by inserting pages in the manual corresponding to the sections of the standard and adding justification if not within the scope of the management system – such as ‘We don’t do this!’.
It is much more appropriate to use an appendix as indicated previously in the manual contents list. By describing the nature of the business, you are establishing boundary conditions. If in doing so you do not mention that you design products, it will be interpreted that design is not applicable.
For exclusions relative to detail requirements, the Compliance Matrix may suffice but for an unambiguous solution, it is preferable to produce an exposition that addresses each requirement of the standard.
The ISO 9001 standard requires the quality manual to include the scope of the quality management system including details of justification for any exclusion. The standard addresses activities that may not be relevant or applicable to an organization. The permissible exclusions are explained in section 1.2 of ISO 9001. Here it states that the organization may only exclude requirements that neither affect the organization’s ability, nor its responsibility to provide product that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements. The requirements for which exclusion is permitted are limited to those in section 7 of the standard.
Under ISO 9001:2008, it was possible for organizations to exclude functions and processes of their organization that may have been difficult to control or were not part of the order fulfilment cycle. Organizations that designed their own products but not for specific customers could escape bringing these operations into the management system. Marketing was omitted because it operated before placement of order. Accounting, Administration, Maintenance, Publicity, Public Relations and After Sales Support functions were often omitted because there were no requirements in the standard that specifically dealt with such activities. As there is no function in an organization that does not directly or indirectly serve the satisfaction of interested parties, it is unlikely that any function or process will now be excluded from the quality management system.
It is sensible to describe the scope of the quality management system so as to ensure effective communication. The scope of the quality management system is one area that generates a lot of misunderstanding particularly when dealing with auditors, consultants and customers. When you claim you have a management system that meets ISO 9001 it could imply that you design, develop, install and service the products you supply, when in fact you may only be a distributor. Why you need to justify specific exclusions is uncertain because it is more practical to justify inclusions.
The scope of the quality management system is the scope of the organization. There is no longer any reason to exclude locations, activities, functions or processes for which there is no requirement in the standard. The reason is because the ISO 9000 family now serves customer satisfaction and is not limited to quality assurance as were the 1994 versions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003.
It is not appropriate to address exclusions by inserting pages in the manual corresponding to the sections of the standard and adding justification if not within the scope of the management system – such as ‘We don’t do this!’.
It is much more appropriate to use an appendix as indicated previously in the manual contents list. By describing the nature of the business, you are establishing boundary conditions. If in doing so you do not mention that you design products, it will be interpreted that design is not applicable.
For exclusions relative to detail requirements, the Compliance Matrix may suffice but for an unambiguous solution, it is preferable to produce an exposition that addresses each requirement of the standard.
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