The ISO 9000 standards focus on development of quality management systems. The series includes guides, frameworks and tools to be used to ensure ISO compliant quality management systems in organisations, regardless of the industries in which they operate or the sizes of the enterprises. The aim is to gain ongoing improvement in quality to guarantee consistent product and service delivery, and thus to increase customer confidence in the quality of the products or services offered.
Standards in the Series
ISO 9001 of 2015 provides the basic requirements against which to measure a quality management system, while ISO 9000 of 2015 addresses the terminology used. ISO 9004 of 2009 addresses means for making the implemented ISO QMS more effective, whilst ISO 19011 of 2011 provides the framework for internal or external auditing of the QMS to measure compliance with the ISO standard requirements.
The most prevalent of the mentioned standards is ISO 9001 of 2015, which deals specifically with the requirements of the QMS with the purpose of getting ISO 9001 certified. The world-wide acceptance of the standard as a benchmark for quality management systems is evident in the fact that well over a million enterprises globally have already become ISO 9001 certified.
ISO 9001 has several principles for management of quality ranging from ensuring customer satisfaction, to motivation of employees for keeping to quality requirements. Executive management is also involved in the application of the system and with accountability on every level, it means that the entire organisation must be committed to quality management according to the implemented system.
The standard was recently updated to ensure that it is in line with the way that modern businesses operate and to make sure it can be integrated along with the other updated and related standards, such as the ISO 14000 series on Environmental Management.
Internal and External Auditing
Developing and implementing the QMS cannot be done without also checking whether the system actually works as it should. For this, it is important to conduct internal audits. Where the organisation wants to become ISO certified for the standard, it is essential to have an independent firm conduct the external audits for the purpose of certification. Note that only an approved certification body can do the certification audit.
Certification Benefits
Certification enables an organisation to get the proof it needs that it meets the ISO requirements. For companies wishing to trade internationally, compliance and certification help to give them a competitive edge over local firms that have not been certified. Customers have more confidence in the consistency and commitment to improvement when a company is ISO certified.
Training as Part of Preparation
Training forms another important part to ensure compliance. Companies such as WWISE offer consultation, internal and external auditing, training and maintenance programmes to help firms become and stay ISO 9000 compliant in their quality management systems.
Development of Quality Management Systems
One such a course is the Development of Quality Management Systems according to ISO 9001. The five-day course focuses on the development of a thorough understanding of ISO 9001, the requirements for a quality management system and insight regarding the process of certification.
The course content is presented in workshop format to give attendees a practical understanding of the topics, such as the ten-step customer satisfaction action plan development, why it is important to have a customer-focused approach, and to ensure that employees on all levels of the organisation understand the importance of such, become more aware of the expectations of customers and how to address such needs.
Topics such as the development of policies and procedures as required by the standard, pitfalls to avoid with implementation, process management and mapping, the controls required for QMS, and understanding the ISO principles for quality management systems are dealt with.
The course also covers how to link the strategic direction of the enterprise with the quality management system, and how to apply the various writing techniques. It covers the policy and procedure writing, the development of work instructions and how to do problem solving, in addition to making decisions regarding quality management. Participants in the course gain insight regarding the audit checklist for ISO 9001, and case studies are used to illustrate practical implications.
Attendance of the course holds several benefits, such as giving attendees the know-how on setting up the QMS implementation plan, coordinate the development of the system and to track changes, as well as how to report on the non-conformities and progress, in addition to maintaining the system.
Introduction to Quality Management
Another course well-worth attending is the Introduction to Quality Management. It is a basic one-day course that provides attendees with insight regarding the definitions of quality control, quality management and quality assurance, as well as quality management systems. It covers the basic inspections, the initial steps in quality assurance, understanding the cost of quality and introduction to quality controls. Other topics covered range from problem solving to methodology of inspections.
Internal Quality Auditing
With internal audits forming an integral part of QMS management, enterprises also benefit from having their employees attend the Internal Quality Auditing course presented by WWISE. It is a three-day course suited for individuals and teams that must conduct the internal quality audits at their firms or who want to get a good foundation before attendance of the lead auditor course.
The course covers topics such as ISO 9001, inspections, interpretation of the standard, audit conducting, planning and checklists, as well as recording and reporting on non-conformances, managing the opening and closing of meetings, presenting the findings of the internal audit, and writing the audit report.
Course attendance holds benefits such being able to plan, set up and conduct internal audits, reporting on findings, holding the meetings and doing follow-ups.
Becoming ISO 9001 compliant in terms of the setting up and managing of a compliant quality management system will help your firm gain a competitive edge, improve on customer satisfaction, and reduce waste and costs, as well as build employee morale.
For certification purposes, let our experts of WWISE conduct a GAP analysis to determine where your firm still needs improvement. Enrol your employees in the necessary training and benefit from our consultation expertise regarding internal and external audits, as well as systems development and integration.