Improve your performance management with new version of ISO 9001

A quality management system enables you to manage your business processes effectively:

it is much more than a set of rules and procedures. When properly implemented and maintained, a QMS addresses the needs of your organisation and delivers tangible business benefits.

The new version of ISO 9001 has recently been published. One of the main aims of ISO 9001:2008 is to facilitate integration with other standards. Although there are no new requirements as such, there are some key clarifications to be taken into account.

There are three main objectives to the new standard:

Detail, clarify, improve the understanding of ISO 9001:2000 (previous version)

Improve compatibility with ISO 14001:2004 Simplify the way in which ISO 9001 can be integrated with other management system standards (such as OHSAS 18001)

There are no new requirements in the new standard:

The title, scope, and structure of the standard are unchanged

The process approach is confirmed

Compatibility with the latest revision of ISO 14001:2004 is maintained and improved upon

Preservation of the quality management principles included in ISO 9000:2000

There are five main areas to note. The relevant sections of the standard are noted in brackets.

1. A reinforcement of the notion of product conformity

2. Compatibility with other standards is evolving

3. A better understanding of outsourced processes

4. An editorial clarification of some requirements – for instance;

A reinforcement of the notion of product conformity2.3.4.

An editorial clarification of some requirements – for instance;A better understanding of outsourced processesCompatibility with other standards is evolving

• (6.4) work environment, including an explanatory note on work environment giving examples,

to help meet product conformity requirements

• (8.2.1) measurement of customer satisfaction, including a note broadening the scope beyond

satisfaction surveys to include other channels such as customer feedback5.

• (Introduction) the notion of risk

• (5.5.2) appointment of a management représentative

• (6.2.2) assessing the effectiveness of achieving compétence

• (8.5.2 et 3) assessing the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions?

Some additional explanations regarding the requirements of the standard;An editorial clarification of some requirements – for instance;A better understanding of outsourced processesCompatibility with other standards is evolvingA reinforcement of the notion of product conformity

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

Global warming, ozone depletion, pollution and extinction of numerous species of animals. These are just a few of the environmental issues that the world faces, in the name of development. As responsible corporate citizens, companies can play their part in preserving our natural environment for our next generation by implementing ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System.

So, what is ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System? What is the requirement of the ISO 14001 standards? What is the content of Environmental Management System? What are the steps in implementing ISO 14001:204 Standards – Environmental Management System? You will find the answers in this “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD.

The “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD will elaborate in details on:

1. Introduction to ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System.
2. The history & origin of the standards.
3. Requirement of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
4. Contents Of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
5. ISO 14001:2004 Implementation Steps & Checklist.

No matter how simple or complex the business, each can benefit from the implementation of a management system based on ISO 14001:2004. This international standard has as its focus the prevention of pollution, accomplished by a teamwork approach to identifying those aspects of the organizations processes that have the potential for harming the environment and the development of ways to reduce or prevent this harm.

In the process, many organizations have found ways to reduce costs by elimination of scrap, changes to their waste disposal processes or reduced use of natural resources. It is the application of the system approach that has proven to be successful. And, once the system is in place, it is logical and beneficial to have that system certified and registered. This provides added assurance that the management system remains effective and also provides public recognition to numerous stakeholders that your organization is committed to the prevention of pollution.

ISO 9000 Training DVD

ISO 9000 Training DVD

ISO 9000 Training DVD

The major reasons that company leadership or management decides to seek ISO 9000 certification are to gain continued or increased business and to maintain effective operations.

A company can maintain a relationship with customers, as well as get increased business through complying to the ISO 900 standards or becoming certified. This comes from satisfying customer demands, the desire for European business, and to advertise.

The “Introduction to ISO 9001:2008” DVD covers 3 major areas, which will help companies in the process of implementing ISO 9000 Standards. It consists of:

First, to describe some basic information on ISO 9000 Standards. It will specifically refer to ISO 9001:2008 Standards. The video will explained on topic like what is ISO 9000 Standards, The origin, history & evolution, Series of ISO 9000, version & certification in ISO 9000 Standards.

Then, the DVD will go into the introduction on quality management. It will explained on topics like what is quality, quality characteristic, quality management, Quality Management Principles, ISO 9000 vs. Quality, what is Quality Management System & etc.

Finally, the DVD will technically highlight the requirement of Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008. It also going through in details the steps in implementing Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008.

ISO 9001 Compliant Program

Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However, all of that effort can represent a significant shift for a business – from quantity to quality. And this could make sure your business gets the desired results.

Shift Policy and Procedures Focus to Performance

Developing, implementing and maintaining your ISO 9001 program can be crucial to the core issues of a business. The focus is designed to help:

o Satisfy customer requirements for compliance

o Increase profits with more contracts

o Save money through efficiency

But to do this you need to put a framework in place that spotlights performance and performance improvement.

Get Management System Support

To effectively build a program and meet the requirements, your organization should carry out a strong process:

o Management Decision and Commitment

o Adequate Training and Evaluation

o Compliance with Appropriate Standards

o Audit and Registration

Once you’ve identified your company’s need for compliance, it is essential for top management to get on board. Management can ensure that quality is documented, demonstrable, effective and maintained.

Quality Systems and Procedures

The appropriate personnel should then review the standards for their industry and work to meet those requirements with organized documentation. Personnel can then develop, implement and maintain a set of quality systems and procedures to satisfy the ISO 9001 requirements.

Operations Training and Well-defined Processes

To build a program and meet the requirements, your organization should begin with effective training for how to create well-defined processes. You will first want to learn how to identify the objectives necessary to deliver top results. And then you will be ready to put those processes to work.

Internal Auditor Training

After you’ve implemented the ISO program, you should monitor and measure the processes against your own objectives. You can build an effective management system that objectively shows what you’re doing right and wrong. To learn how, you can take advantage of an Internal Auditor skills class and learn how to bridge the gap and move toward continual performance improvement.

Improve Business Process Performance

With ISO 9001 compliance you can improve the overall process performance of your business. And this can save money while satisfying your customers and increasing profit.

Benefits of Quality Management System

These days, gaining ISO 9001 certification will almost certainly enhance an organization’s business reputation. The ISO 9001:2008 standard requires the implementation of a documented quality management system to facilitate enhanced performance and efficiency.

ISO 9001 certification is intended for any organization regardless of size, type or product including service. According to the ISO 9001 standard there a number of system requirements which an organisation needs to fulfill in order meet customer, regulatory and statutory requirements. Ensuring customer satisfaction through the quality management system is a key aim of the standard. The ISO 9001 standard also includes elements that require monitoring and measurement of processes and continual improvement.

In order to achieve certification an organization should have a documented quality management system and not a system of documents. The three main objectives of the documentation should be for communication of information, evidence of conformity and knowledge sharing. Quality management system documentation may be in any form or type of medium such as paper, electronic or picture. A compliant quality management system will need to address key elements of the standard. There are five sections that outline the requirements of a compliant system, section 4 Quality Management System, section 5 Management Responsibility, section 6 Resource Management, section 7 Product Realisation and section 8 Measurement Analysis.

ISO 9001 section 4 requires that an organisation has a documented system with procedures in place to control documents and records. Section 5 requires the quality management system to include a quality policy and for senior management to demonstrate management commitment, allocate responsibility and authority, and conduct management reviews

Section 6 of the standard requires your system to address and review requirements for resources, human resources and training, infrastructure and work environment. Section 7 of the standard defines the requirements for planning, design and development, purchasing, production, control of customer property and monitoring and measurement. Section 8 defines the quality management system requirements for measurement, monitoring and improvement and includes sub-clauses internal audit, control of non-conforming product, corrective action and preventative action, all of which are compulsory procedures as defined by the standard.

ISO 9001:2008 refers specifically to only 6 documented procedures, however, other documentation may be required by an organisation in order to manage the processes that are necessary for the effective operation of the QMS. In addition to the minimum document requirements the standard defines twenty one specific requirements for records.

There are several requirements of ISO 9001:2008 where value can be added to a quality management system by the preparation of other documents to demonstrate conformity such as process flow charts, process descriptions, organization charts, specifications, work instructions, approved supplier lists and inspection plans.

The documentation required in a system to achieve ISO 9001 certification is no longer as onerous as prior to 2000 and the value of ISO 9001 certification for an organisation has never been higher. Certification sends a clear message to all interested parties that an organization is committed to high standards and continual improvement.

The Goals and Principles Of ISO 9001 Standards

The ISO 9001:2008 revision was released in a digital format on November 14, 2008 and the printed version on November 25th. The revisions are explanatory and editorial in nature. The requirements remain principally intact from the 2000 revision. You can find an in depth review of the changes on our website.

The goals and principles of ISO 9000 still apply. There are eight goals/principles that were initially enumerated in the 2000 release of ISO 9000 that set the temperament and focus of today’s quality management techniques and application.

ISO 9000 addresses process quality standards, not product quality standards. It does not involve inspection to see if a part meets a specification. It addresses examining the process and the controls used during its manufacture. The concept is that if everything in the process is good, it will produce a good product.

The requirements in ISO 9001 do not call for any specific type of product inspection. It does state that if an organization includes product inspection in their production plans they must carry out the inspections as planned.

It’s important that we always keep in mind these goals and principles and focus our efforts on attaining them.

The Eight Goals/Principles of ISO 9000 are:

1) Customer Focused Organization

Take care of the customer first. Companies that focus their energies on customers outperform those that are inwardly focused. Customers don’t reward their suppliers for simply following a procedure. You depend on your customers. You should understand their requirements and expectations and work to exceed them.

2) Leadership

Top management should be leaders. Continual improvement and increased customer satisfaction are attainable when led by top management. Leaders provide direction and make sure everyone is steering the same course.

3) Involvement of people

People make quality a reality. The folks that do the work must know what their customer expects. And, everyone works toward the same goal … the customer’s satisfaction.

4) Process Approach

Plan and setup work the way it naturally flows. When operations and departments work together toward the same goals there is a structure for managing and improving. The whole must be greater than the sum of its parts.

5) System Approach to Management

A company will be more effective if they manage a system of interacting processes. Managing each process as stand alone operations causes conflicts among processes because they work toward individual goals and not what the customer wants.

6) Continual Improvement

Being world class isn’t achieved by accepting the status quo. Small improvements made on an ongoing basis makes world class a reality.

7) Factual Approach to Decision Making

Decisions about change are based on empirical information. Wishing something better doesn’t work. You have heard it before and it’s worth repeating “If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it”.

Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships

Make suppliers partners in your efforts and theirs. You depend on suppliers so you should work toward win-win outcomes. They are the experts in their chosen area and product. Everybody prospers.

Bonus Goal

9) Defect Prevention

Controlling the input to processes through goal # 4 emphasizes the importance of good input resulting in good output. Thereby, theoretically reducing the need to rely on defect detection methods such as inspection. Defect prevention is cheaper than defect detection and correction. In reality the total absence of inspection in manufacturing seems impossible. However, an ongoing endeavor to reduce inspections to a minimum is truly continuous improvement.

ISO 9001 Standards For Small Medium Enterprise

There are some companies out there as small as two people that are ISO 9000 certified. In terms of size, companies range from the very small, to under 100 employees, to between 200 ? 300 employees. In terms of revenue, companies can range from one hundred thousand to multi-million dollar companies. They provide a variety of products or services including testing and assembly, manufacturing metal stampings, electronic components, paper products, printing, or different kinds of machinery. Other companies include banks, food industries, and chemical plants. There are also service companies that do recruitment, consulting, and engineering. Any industry in the world can be ISO 9000 registered, and it doesn’t matter what size they are or what they do.

ISO certification can help small business by slimming down your business operation system and make it more effective. Basically, when you first build your ISO 9000 system, it looks like a paper giant to you. In actuality, once it’s done, you’ve completed your audit, and are now running your system, you are able to more effectively utilize the people you work with.

You could have four different processes that you actually could work into one. Now one person can handle completing a particular process instead of four different ones. You’ve been able to consolidate multiple actions/processes into one. This will save time, which is money in the long run. Corrective and preventive actions help you as well. If you catch a product defect prior to its being completed or shipped, you save yourself money and an impact on your company’s reputation. There are a lot of cost effective ways that employee input can also help being ISO registered.

This process will save your business money down the road, even if you may not see it in the front end. You’ve got to run the system. Then as it is running and you are using it, you start consolidating areas of your business that are inefficient or are contributing to loss of materials, labor, etc?. The money isn’t always cash coming back all the time. You will get some cash in some workplaces if you’re getting a lot of scrap and re-work, but YOU ARE going to see it come back in savings of time, and we all know TIME is MONEY.

Obviously where people are working more efficiently, they are making more product in less time, so you are saving money and making money at the same time. In the long run it will balance out, and you’ll help your company into the next level. Also, you can put the ISO on your website. You can use it for your marketing because suppliers recognize it, not only in the United States, but around the world. You’ll probably get more calls, because of your ISO registration.

Many companies look to see if potential suppliers are ISO registered prior to contacting them. Potential customers will know that through effective and efficient management of your system you are assuring them that they get a quality product. It’s going to open up more doors for potential customers because they are going to understand what you’re doing. Some companies will not even look at clients or other companies unless they are ISO registered. It’s similar to the idea that, in the job market, a lot of companies won’t look at a candidate unless they have a college degree. In this case your ISO certificate is your degree.

Another way that ISO registration can save small businesses money is by eliminating the need for vendor audits. In the past, companies would conduct these audits to verify the quality of potential suppliers? products, or they would purchase the product and hope that it was what they wanted. Now you can verify just by asking for a copy of their certificate and verifying with the registrar. You would not have to send someone in to do a vendor audit. This is an extremely strong benefit.

Committing to becoming ISO certified is not a small decision. It takes time, dedication, and it can be expensive. However, the benefits for small businesses far outweigh these costs. Becoming ISO certified can help you small business grow!

History of ISO Standards and its New Direction

International standardization began in the electrotechnical field when the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) was established in 1906. The International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA) was then set up in 1926 to create standards in the field of mechanical engineering.

Four years after ISA was dissolved in 1942, delegates from 25 countries decided to create a new international organization, ISO, “to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards.” Since its creation, ISO has experienced three major turning points. For its first 40 years, ISO followed its initial mission, focusing on technical standards for specific products or technologies such as screws, sizing systems for clothing and shoes, and laser technology. The organization’s first turning point came in the 1980s when ISO delved into the development of “process” standards, specifically the ISO 9000 Quality Management System standards. The creation of generic management standards that could cover almost any industry sector was a notable departure from the product/industry/technology-specific nature of previous ISO standards. The ISO 9000 series became ISO’s most widely known and successful (measured by sales) standards ever, with more than half a million organizations adopting them globally.

ISO’s evolution continued with another turning point a decade later. In 1993, with the creation of ISO/TC 207 to develop the ISO14000 Environmental Management standards, ISO took its most notable step into the public policy arena, extending its influence beyond industry and their customers, and into issues of general public interest.

Six decades after its creation, ISO has grown into the world’s largest and most widely recognized standards development organization. ISO’s influence is exercised not solely through its size and popularity, but also because of the status of its outputs as the world’s “trade-legal” standards as recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Once nationalized, these international standards can become market requirements (even for companies without foreign operations), for instance, as part of government procurement criteria, as has happened in the case of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series standards.

There is, therefore, little doubt that any new ISO standards in the social or environmental field can and will have a sizable influence on businesses, governments, and civil society around the world.

Currently, a total of 148 countries participate in the ISO confederation, either as a member body (97 countries, with active participation and voting rights), as a correspondent member (36 countries, without voting rights but full information access), or as a subscriber m

Why is ISO 9001:2008 Certification Important?

First of all it provides a system for managers and organizations to achieve excellence and opens the door for American manufacturers and/or service organizations seeking a larger role in both international trade and with other American organizations. Many organizations require their suppliers to be certified or at a minimum to be working toward certification on ISO 9001:2008 to do business.

Consider the facts (source MORI/SGS-ICS) that with ISO 9001 certification:

• 83% realized improved management control
• 82% realized improved customer satisfaction
• 62% said it improved the ability to win work
• 61% stated a more motivated workforce
• 60% realized improved productivity
• 60% saw reduced waste
• 52% stated it improved marketing
• 50% had reduced costs
• 49% realized increased market share

What’s the difference between ISO 9001 and CMM?

Understanding the difference between ISO 9001 Standards and CMM means recognising a cultural understanding of quality. -Microsoft and many other software companies govern quality with the 80-20 rule,” said David Smith, vice president of Technology Futures, a technology forecasting company in Austin, TX. -The rationale is, ‘it’s a real product if 80 percent of the problem can be addressed and the remaining 20 percent is part of the business model.’ But the reality is the software industry’s business model is not a business model of total quality. And that is part of the challenge when you compare a CMM model against an ISO 9001 Standards model.”

The problem, as Smith sees it, is a conflict between the approaches to quality of ISO 9000 Standardsand CMM programs, on the one hand, and the business model that corporations use on the other. -When you’re developing a product, the hardest problems to fix are the last 20 percent,” noted Smith.

Smith highlights three critical elements for understanding ISO 9001 and CMM:

• Understanding and documenting the true requirements is a key element in both standards.
• Document how you write the software code so other people can understand its value.
• Understand the requirements outlined in the program management and business models. It means understanding the maximum payback from the ISO and CMM levels. This is difficult to achieve because it requires both management and supervisory hats.

Software in the original description of ISO 9001 is different from software that runs on a computer, explains Mark Paulk, a senior member of the technical staff at Carnegie Mellon’s SEI.

Paulk’s advice: Understand the essence of ISO 9001 so you can compare it to CMM. ISO 9001′s definition of software is more general and includes music, entertainment, or anything involving the creation of an intangible product.

-But the original bias of the standard was strongly toward the manufacturing environment, where all the historical work had been done,” said Paulk. -And that is one of the criticisms of the early releases of the standards. One of the objectives of the ISO 9000 revisions was it failed to make the standard more comfortable to users in other environment

ISO 9001 Standard Operating Procedures

A quality management system can improve a business’ operational processes and, as a result, the quality of its products or services. A quality management program also makes clear to customers the business’ strong focus on quality and satisfaction. To this end, implementing ISO 9001 quality management standards from the highly respected ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) can be an especially smart step for businesses in any industry sector or part of the world.

Source

1. ISO 9001 comes from ISO, the largest and most widely known and respected source for quality management standards. This nongovernmental organization is a network of national standards institutes of 162 countries. ISO standards do not have the power of law but are based on consensus among its members, who represent the needs of both business and society at large. Since its founding in 1947, ISO has published more than 17,500 international standards.

Benefits

2. For society, ISO 9001 standard operating procedures help to ensure that products and services around the world meet expectations for quality. For businesses who implement ISO 9001, the main benefits as described by ISO are “the connection of quality management systems to organizational processes” and “a natural progression toward improved organizational performance.” Companies using ISO 9001 see reduced costs and increased customer satisfaction due to improved quality.

Features

3. In 1987, ISO developed ISO 9001 to define the components of a quality management system—for example, specific processes, documentation and roles dedicated to ensuring quality.ISO 9001 calls for organizations to adopt ISO’s Quality Management Principles and a process approach and to heavily engage top management in the quality process. In addition, organizations following ISO 9001 must establish relevant quality objectives and closely measure outcomes with a focus on continuous improvement.

Implementation

4. Once an organization has chosen to use ISO 9001 standard operating procedures, it should begin to instill in its employees the Quality Management Principles. Next, the business should analyze the standards and conduct a gap analysis to understand how existing processes might need to change to comply with ISO 9001. Finally, the organization should work through the adjustment of existing processes and the development of new processes to achieve compliance with the ISO 9001 standards.

Certification

5. While organizations can follow ISO 9001 without being certified, taking this additional step can help raise an organization’s image and credibility. ISO does not provide certification; organizations can obtain certifications from specialized third-party auditors that verify compliance to ISO 9001. The organization can then publicize and promote its certification, within ISO guidelines, as a hallmark of its quality commitment.

How to Maintain ISO 9001 Standards QMS

How to Maintain ISO 9001 Standards QMS (Quality Management System)

ISO 9001 is a quality management system (QMS) created and maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the largest developer of international standards in the world. QMS systems are meant to provide organizations with a formal framework for process improvements and quality standards. The system provides a set of procedures that covers all key processes to ensure they are effective. It also provides a methodology for record-keeping, checking for defects and continuous improvement and maintenance of these functions.

- Provide resources needed to support process operations, monitoring and the management review process.

- Transform and maintain physical workspaces, equipment, hardware, software, utilities and support services needed to meet requirements.

- Develop a system to review transportation (if any), communication and information services for sharing data relating to ISO 9001 standards.

- Provide adequate training for management reviewers (MRs) and internal auditors. They should have the right experience, education and skills needed to ensure that competence requirements are being met.

- Keep a record of the review process. This includes corrective and preventive action procedures.