Do we need a Risk Register for ISO 9001:2015

Z

zoolieu

It appears that a "risk register" is not required for ISO 9001:2015.
We always post issues, situations, risks, concerns and potential problems on a large dry erase board so that the issues do not get forgotten.
Would it also be necessary to draft a register to house these risks and resolutions in?
We have our audit in 3 weeks.
On a side note - we are a distributor (not MFG) and very small company of 5
 
B

BoardGuy

Although 6.1 specifies that the organization shall plan action to address risk there is:

a) No requirement for formal methods for risk management
b) No requirement to document risk management process
c) No requirement to retain documented information as evidence of determination of risks.

This part of the Standard has developed in to a cottage industry of risk based thinking gurus that could lead you in to performing FMEAs for all process. We developed a simple spreadsheet that addresses both Section 4 and 6.1 requirements. Our spreadsheet looks at:

a) Interested parties and their reason for interest
b) Internal issues of concern
c) External issues of concern
e) Organizational risks and how they are addressed

In the end you should not just create something to address 6.1. You should develop needed information that is helpful to top management and the organization.
 
Z

zoolieu

Thank you kindly for the clear and well drafted response.
May I ask where you house this spreadsheet so that it is accessible to all?
 

Kronos147

Trusted Information Resource
At our shop, we found something we already capture, NCR's, in our NCR log, and added an NCR classification, Risk.

We look to see what methods we already have and expand upon them as opposed to develop new processes.

We also have a quote review checklist. We added a section to document Risks.

We have a process to qualify vendors and issue PO's. We integrated risk management.
 
B

BoardGuy

Thank you kindly for the clear and well drafted response.
May I ask where you house this spreadsheet so that it is accessible to all?

[FONT=&quot]Sorry, I cannot provide because it is consider to be a proprietary document of my employer.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 
Z

zoolieu

I apologize - I wasn't asking to view the doc - just where do you keep in your company so that it is accessible? In a binder? On a shared drive?
 
J

Jim Green

I apologize - I wasn't asking to view the doc - just where do you keep in your company so that it is accessible? In a binder? On a shared drive?

I am not an expert, but I would keep it in an electronic folder. Then present hard copy during Mgr Review. That way it's covered.

In my experience, the more you have presented in Mgr Review, the more efficient and easy your external/3rd party audits tend to be.

I am going to start off very simple at first. Trying to capture major processes, and see how it goes.
 
Z

zoolieu

So - I have a bit to add that I hope will deem helpful.
You do NOT have to have a "register" per se, but you do need to have a MR, so that all has to be integrated. We have a large dry erase board that I have divided up by sections that have risk: shipping, purchasing, etc. We toss up issues as they arise, discuss and manage in the meetings and then keep a running "risk register" Just excel doc - on a shared folder for reviewing and history. Hope that works!
 

Mark Meer

Trusted Information Resource
We have a large dry erase board that I have divided up by sections that have risk: shipping, purchasing, etc. We toss up issues as they arise, discuss and manage in the meetings and then keep a running "risk register" Just excel doc - on a shared folder for reviewing and history. Hope that works!

I would strongly suggest moving this activity to a shared document/spreadsheet, instead of a dry-erase board. ISO requirements aside, I think it's important to have some lasting record of activities you do... it makes it easier to look back later and make decisions based on past activities.

Google Docs is a good possibility as it is free, any number of people can collaborate simultaneously, and revision histories are maintained.

If people are at their computers daily, you could set it to people's home-page, thus (more-or-less) ensuring that everyone sees it daily...
 

dsanabria

Quite Involved in Discussions
[FONT=&quot]Sorry, I cannot provide because it is consider to be a proprietary document of my employer.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

You could do a "PM" Private Message and not make your documentation to the whole world - thus not violating proprietary laws because no one will know or find out. :cool:
 
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