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practical, simple and flexible ISO 9001 |
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ISO 9001Consultant - practical, simple and flexible adviceISO 9001 - what is it?The international standard for a quality management system. The full title is ISO 9001 Quality management systems - requirements, but it's most often simply called 'ISO 9001'. The focus is on consistent quality of services or products and on satisfying customers. How do you do this? By having a system to manage the quality of your services and/or products: a quality management system. A system that uses the model in ISO 9001 is based on the internationally respected and most widely known model in existence. Many other management system standards are based on it, with extra more specific requirements added such as: AS 9100 (aeronautical), ISO 22000 (food safety), ISO/TS 16949 (automotive) or ISO 14001 (environmental). But what is it? It's a set of requirements or things you are 'required' to do (ie, must). Requirements are given in 5 groups:
The requirements are really just sheer good sense. For example, people must be competent (6.2), you must establish what your customers want (clause 7.2.1) and give it to them. See what I mean about good sense? >>More on requirements of ISO 9001. Unlike the vast majority of standards which are very specific and prescriptive, 9001 is a 'generic' Standard, which you can apply to any type of organisation, small, medium or big, and in any field. (Another generic Standard is 14001 for environmental management systems.) It's very important to understand that while ISO9001 says what you must do, it does not specify the how. An example: the Standard requires you to plan your business processes, and to operate, maintain, improve and control them. But the Standard doesn't dictate any specific methods or ways to do this. Although many people think mostly of the 9001 Standard in connection with manufacturing, it is very successfully used by service businesses such as consulting or real estate companies, and non-manufacturing businesses such as importers, distributors and retailers. Indeed, about 40% of certifications are now issued to service businesses. Its generic nature means you can apply it across almost any field, as well as in non-commercial organisations, schools and colleges, statutory authorities, charities, even churches and missions. >> ISO 9001 FAQs How do you get ISO 9001?Your quality management system must meet all of the requirements of the Standard. To do this, you undergo an audit: a detailed test and examination to establish if the management system your organisation uses complies with (meets) all the requirements of ISO 9001. It's an audit of your system (not your financials) and must be done by a properly accredited certifier or registrar. If successful, you get a certificate. Assuming of course you pass (never a problem for our clients) Then you are 'ISO 9001 certified' or 'registered'. Which is often, mistakenly, called being 'ISO accredited'. >> More on how to get ISO 9001 . What's the catch?One trap: you do need inside knowledge. There are some distinct pitfalls for the ignorant or unwary. Another: you could let a difficult and bureaucratic system be imposed on you, because you think it 'must be like that' to get the certificate for ISO 9001: 2008. But that is not true. You can do it with an intelligent quality management system: one that's simple, practical and flexible. Doesn't everyone do that? Unfortunately, no. Some suffer under complex and bureaucratic systems, overloaded with documents that are hard to comprehend or use. Expensive to create and even worse to try and work with. How does it happen? Often it's not understanding what's needed, or lacking experience. See our complimentary report on the most common mistakes with ISO 9001. Why would you settle for less than a simple, practical and flexible quality management system, when you can get a good one instead? And use the power of ISO 9001 for tangible business improvement? What are the benefits of ISO 9001?Some of the benefits of an ISO 9001 certified system that are most often reported:
Are you wondering how you can get them? If you could do it or whether you'd have to change everything you do? Or worse, if you have to 'document everything'? Or perhaps you've heard doing ISO is really, really hard; if so, it's incorrect. When that's true is usually when it isn't done intelligently or people don't understand it. ISO 9001 doesn't have to be hardYou see, we don't do 'quality systems' with huge, horrible and wordy ISO 9001 quality manuals, laden with bureaucracy and forms. We've all got far better things to do with our time. Those kinds of over-complicated systems are rarely received well, often don't work well and usually aren't followed. Except perhaps by whoever put it in place. But the very last thing you need is a system that only one or two people understand! Doesn't it make sense to have a simple and practical quality system? Flexible enough to work for you today, as well as cope with changes when they come up? Find out how. Back to Top |
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