ISO 9001
- Quality Management System
Overview
Customers are getting more
sophisticated, better informed
and their expectations are
growing. For any business, the
only way to keep up is to offer
a real commitment to quality. In
fact any organization, whatever
their size or industry sector
can give themselves a real
future in a marketplace by using
a well planned and documented
quality management system (QMS)
such as ISO 9000. Benefits of
registration are:
- greater responsibility and
quality consciousness amongst
staff
- better use of time and resources
- reduced wastage and product
failure
- greater consistency and
traceability of products and
services.
What is a QMS?
A quality management system is a
common sense, well documented
system that ensures consistency
and improvement of working
practices, including the
products and services produced.
They are based on standards,
which specify a procedure for
achieving effective quality
management. ISO 9000 is the most
commonly used international
standard that provides a
framework for a quality
management system.
What is ISO 9000?
ISO 9000 is a generic name given
to a family of standards
developed to provide a framework
around which a quality
management system can
effectively be based.
The ISO 9000 family of standards
was revised in November 2008.
These pages refer to ISO
9000:2008 as opposed to ISO
9000:2000, the previous version.
ISO 9001:2008, the requirement
standard, includes the following
main sections:
- Quality Management System
- Management Responsibility
- Resource Management
- Product Realization
- Measurement Analysis and
Improvement
What does it mean to me?
In order to use ISO 9000 to the
fullest in helping you to manage
your organization's processes
there are a number of steps to
take:
- first you need to define what
you do and how your organization
goes about its business,
- then capture this in a
documented system,
- and you have to do what you say
you do,
- then make sure you do it
effectively,
- and lastly demonstrate this to
your stakeholders through
registration.
Implementing a Quality
Management System
There are key steps that every
company implementing a QMS will
need to consider:
Purchase the Standard
Before you can begin preparing
for your application, you will
require a copy of the standard.
You should read this and make
yourself familiar with it.
Review support literature and
software
There are a wide range of
quality publications and
software tools designed to help
you understand, implement and
become registered to a quality
management system.
Assemble a team and agree on
your strategy
You should begin the entire
implementation process by
preparing your organizational
strategy with top management.
Responsibility for a QMS lies
with Senior Management,
therefore it is vital that
Senior Management is involved
from the beginning of the
process.
Consider Training
Whether you are the Quality
Manager seeking to implement a
quality management system or a
Senior Manager who would like to
increase your general awareness
of ISO 9001:2008, there are a
range of workshops, seminars and
training courses available.
Review Consultancy Options
The consultancy is the 3rd party
like NUCLEUS, You can receive
advice from independent
consultants on how best to
implement your quality
management system. They will
have the experience in
implementing a QMS and can
ensure you avoid costly
mistakes.
Choose a registrar
The registrar is the 3rd party,
like (Check
with International Accreditation
Forum for the accredited
certification body)
who come and assess the
effectiveness of your quality
management system, and issue a
certificate if it meets the
requirements of the standard.
Choosing a registrar can be a
complex issue as there are so
many operating in the market.
Factors to consider include
industry experience, geographic
coverage, price and service
level offered. The key is to
find the registrar who can best
meet your requirements. A great
place to start is by contacting
us.
Develop a Quality manual
A Quality manual is a high level
document that outlines your
intention to operate in a
quality manner. It outlines why
you are in business, what your
intentions are, how you are
applying the standard and how
your business operates.
Develop support documentation
This is typically a procedures
manual that supports the Quality
manual. Quite simply, it
outlines what you do to complete
a task. It describes who does
what, in what order and to what
standard.
Implement your Quality
Management System
The key to implementation is
communication and training.
During the implementation phase
everyone operates to the
procedures and collects records
that demonstrate you are doing
what you say you are doing.
Consider a pre-assessment
A pre-assessment by your
registrar normally takes place
about 6 weeks into the
implementation of the quality
system. The purpose of the
pre-assessment is to identify
areas where you may not be
operating to the standard. This
allows you to correct any areas
of concern you may have before
the initial assessment.
Gain registration
You should arrange your initial
assessment with your registrar.
At this point the registrar will
review your QMS and determine
whether you should be
recommended for registration.
Continual assessment
Once you have received
registration and been awarded
your certificate, you can begin
to advertise your success and
promote your business. To
maintain your registration, all
you need to do is continue to
use your quality system. This
will be periodically checked by
your registrar to ensure that
your Quality System continues to
meet the requirements of the
standard.
QMS Registration
Registration to ISO
9000 takes place when an
accredited 3rd party visits an organization,
assesses the management system
and issues a certificate to show
that the organization abides by
to the principles set out in ISO
9001:2008.
Your Quality Management Systems
certificate is a sign of
acceptability which saves you
having to prove your quality
standards to discriminating
customers. ISO 9000 speaks an
international language.
Why do I need registration?
Gaining registration to ISO 9000
through various certification
bodies will help your
organization flourish. Whether
you are looking to operate
internationally or to expand
locally to accommodate new
business, ISO 9000 will help you
demonstrate to customers that
you have a commitment to
quality.
The regular assessment process
will ensure you continually use,
monitor and improve your
processes.
Registration can improve overall
performance, remove uncertainty
and widen market opportunities.
