What is ISO 9001:2008?

By Karen MacKenzie
SQMC Associate

ISO 9001 (2008) is the current version of the internationally recognised standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS) or business systems. It was revised in the year 2000, and again in 2008.

Organisations implement an ISO 9001 QMS because it has proven over the years that it leads companies to better operations, improved performance, and improved profitability.

ISO 9000 is a generic name given to a series of standards to provide a framework around which a quality management system can effectively be implemented.

ISO 9001:2008, the requirements against which you are audited, includes the following main sections:

1. Quality Management System
2. Management Responsibility
3. Resource Management
4. Production and/or Service Provision
5. Measurement Analysis and Improvement

What does it mean to me?

To gain the maximum benefit from ISO 9000:2008 there are a number of steps to take:

1. Define why your organization is in business.

2. Determine the key processes that state 'what' you do and the standard you aim to do it to.

3. Establish how these processes work within your business.

4. Determine who manages these processes & who operates them.

5. Agree these processes throughout the organization.

6. With your QMS in place and working for you, the organisation is focused towards its Quality Goals (business goals with their quality requirements defined).. Management is provided with data on a continual basis and able to see progress or lack of progress towards goals and take appropriate action. The organised, scheduled process of conducting Management Review meetings ensures that this evaluation takes place. It provides the mechanism of reviewing goals and performance against goals on a scheduled basis, and for taking action based on the evaluation.

7. Increased productivity results from the initial evaluation and improvement of processes that occurs during the implementation process and from improved training and qualification of employees. Better documentation or control of processes leads to consistency in performance, and less scrap and rework. Managers experience fewer late night troubleshooting calls; employees have more information for troubleshooting problems on their own.

8. Customer satisfaction increases are seen as Goals and Objectives take the customer needs into account. Customer needs are better understood as customer feedback is sought, received and analysed. Goals and objectives are adjusted based on the information and the organization becomes more customer driven. As goals focus on the customer, the organisation spends less time focusing on individual goals of departments and more time working together to meet customer needs – amore holistic approach.

The system follows a straightforward PLAN→ DO→ CHECK→ ACT process:-

PLAN – establish the objectives and processes needed to deliver the results in line with QMS

DO – implement the needed processes of the QMS

CHECK – check the processes against the policy, processes, regulations, targets and report on the results (auditing)

ACT – take actions that will continually improve the QMS

Implementing ISO 9001 and being certificated allows you to:

• Streamline and improve your existing processes and procedures more directly linked to the business aims

• Improve the impact of your business bottom line

• Create a framework for continual improvement of processes and procedures which makes them ever more efficient and effective

• Involves the people who do the work and acknowledges them as subject experts – improving morale, productivity and teamwork

SQMC are ideally placed to help you achieve your ISO goals in a no nonsense straightforward way. Ask our customers!

Related Subjects:

Quality Management Systems

Environmental Management Systems

Health and Safety Management Systems

Quality Tools and Techniques

Project Management

Human Resources

Trainer Training