Re: Clarification of ISO 9001: 2008 Section 7.6
Hello Cove Members!
I'm working for a non-profit community agency that is starting the process of ISO 9001: 2008 certification. We have about 140 regular employees and 9 different service oriented programs that have a focus on resolving community issues.
In section 7.6 of ISO 9001: 2008 (Control of monitoring and measuring equipment) I'm trying to find out if I can omit this section from the quality assurance manual. The text seems to be implying physical measurment systems used on final products; however, our products are mainly service oriented. Can I discard this section, or do have to keep it under the context of serivce oriented products, and find a way to monitor the services?
P.S. My name is Shawn
Hi Shawn,
Welcome to the Cove and a great FIRST question
I would suggest you to have a look at Example 9 in the attachment
HERE which states the given below. I feel that you can not exclude in totality
Situation:
A small training organization provides training to people who are not currently working and would like to upgrade their skills. The organization carries out practical skills training. In this process the participants practice the use of simple measuring equipment such as rulers, spirit levels and plumb lines. The organization’s product is the skills development, and not the crafted items produced by the participants. The training organization has implemented ISO 9001: 2000 QMS and claims conformity to the standard with the exclusion of sub-clause 7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring devices.
Issue(s):
Can the small training organization exclude sub-clause 7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring devices from its QMS and claim conformity to ISO 9001:2008.
Analysis and conclusion:
In this example the simple measuring devices that have been mentioned (rules, spirit-levels and plumb lines) are a diversion and are not the correct items to be focusing on when considering the exclusion of sub-clause 7.6. Instead, it is the training that is the product being delivered and to which attention should be given. The organization should be controlling the monitoring and measuring devices that are needed to provide evidence of the conformity of the product (training/education) to requirements, e.g. tests and student satisfaction surveys, reports related to students finding jobs, etc. (In this instance, the necessary control may be demonstrated through verification or validation of the measuring and monitoring devices, e.g. though pilot testing of the survey questionnaires).
The organization may be able to justify the exclusion of those requirements in the sub-clause that specifically relate to the calibration of measuring equipment [in 7.6 bullets (a) to (e)], if it decides that the simple measuring equipment does not need to be calibrated. It may however be necessary for the organization to provide the students with training in checking the accuracy of their equipment (rules, sprit levels etc.), in which case even these requirements could not be excluded.
In conclusion, sub-clause 7.6 could not be excluded in its entirety, only in part.