Andy,
Why do I keep going on about 'read the standard and follow the words, not people's interpretations, guidelines, etc'?
Between your client, the ISO 9000:2000 guidelines and some of the well meaning opinions given, you are in danger of being pulled into a maelstrom of paperwork. Where did all these rules, regulations and requirements come from? Are they really from the standard? Remember we are talking about certification to ISO 9001.
In my copy of ISO 9002:1994, 4.5, (the currently applicable standard) there is a simple requirement to control documents and data by means of a master list or equivalent and ensure the current rev is what is in use. Nowhere does it say that documents have to have numbers. Nowhere does it say anything about templates or templates also having numbers.
Nowhere does it say that quality records are documents or that documents are (or are not) quality records.
In 4.16, it says that quality records will be established, etc......right through to disposed of. Their purpose is described as 'to demonstrate conformance' and it tells us that we should look after them. Again, nowhere does it say anything about numbers, revs, templates, etc.
It's all in the head. You believe the great myth that's going around and still haven't tried to see what ISO 9002 really requires. No wonder you don't like ISO 9002.
In my recent employment I wrote up a management review procedure and have recently done the same for a client. It says; The minutes of the management review meeting are filed as a quality record of the implementation of management review. The agreed actions are then added to the same document to form a corrective action report and this, in turn, is updated with the implementation and closing date to record same. It is then filed as a quality record of corrective action.
By filing the email format record, I cover the requirements of 4.5 and 4.16 and fullfill a number of functions including the corrective action process and even recording who was at the meeting and providing evidence that they received the reports at each stage. Not a form, template, document number or rev in sight. No possible need for them. And, if the company stands up for the process as a team, and if the process is followed and can be seen to work, few auditors will complain and none can prevail against us.
As we say here in Cork; "Up here for thinking, down there for dancing".
Keep it simple. Don't live in fear of non conformance but of failing to provide an efficient and effective management system.
rgds, John C
[This message has been edited by John C (edited 30 October 2000).]