ISO 9001 and Various Service Provider Industries - What do you think?

[qualitygoddess - 2010]

Mike S

Unsubstantiated, but I think a hospital group in Milwaukee, WI is supposed to be working on ISO. I know for a fact that one clinic group in the Milwaukee metro area now publishes that they practice TQM. It seems to have improved their performance, in particular customer service providers at the front desk and making appointments. I've always thought their nurses were top-rate!

 

[MikeL]

Healthcare, it can be done

I have helped about twelve hospitals achieve ISO 9001 certification, also a few aged care facilities and medical clinics.

Unfortunately I find that many healthcare organisations are very inwards looking. They can't accept that ISO is any good for them because it is not a healthcare developed standard.

The education sector is very similar.

 

[Sidney Vianna]

I read somewhere recently where some "experts" are expecting a rise in healthcare organizations registering to ISO 9001. Does anyone here have any insight or opinions on this?

I cannot say I have ever seen a healthcare provider (hospital, doctor, rehab place, etc.) say they were ISO 9001 registered. (Has anyone else?) But I have seen examples of poor training, poor documentation, etc. in those places that perhaps the exercise of going thru ISO 9001 requirements could help with. I guess I expect such places to be accredited by organizations with higher standards than I have actually seen exhibited.

There are a few HealthCare organizations certified to ISO 9001 in the US. However, HeathCare perception of quality is very old fashioned. ISO 9001 to be effectively implemented in that sector must be sold and implemented as a risk management tool. In this month's Quality Progress magazine, there is a short blurb titled JCAHO Urges Systems Approach to Patient Safety.
What a concept!!!!

 

[Marc]

NOTE: Some Educational Institution posts were split from this thread because of their specificity. See: ISO 9001 and Educational Institutions (Service Provider)

Also see: ISO/IWA 2 - Guidance for the application of ISO 9001:2000 to educational services

 

[Mike S.]

I have helped about twelve hospitals achieve ISO 9001 certification, also a few aged care facilities and medical clinics.

Unfortunately I find that many healthcare organisations are very inwards looking. They can't accept that ISO is any good for them because it is not a healthcare developed standard.

The education sector is very similar.

MikeL -- If you don't mind my asking, how did you get involved with these hospitals? Are you a consultant that they contacted, or did you work directly for them, or what?

Was it difficult to convince them to use ISO?

Since it seems so rare for healthcare orgs. to use ISO 9001, yet so many dollars are spent (and wasted) there, and it can be literally a life-and-death situation, your story is quite interesting to me.

 

[MikeL]

ISO for the progressive

I work for a consultancy company.

We have been going since 1988. We were working almost exclusively on Quality Systems (to 9001:1987 no less) Most of our clients were manufacturers or services to manufacturers.

Now about half our clients are services.

I believe we helped our first hospital in 1997.

There is a privately owned scheme for hospital quality accreditation in Australia. The standard is awful, the assessment process is awful and it is expensive.

Naturally it is just what hospitals like.

We have managed to help a small number of Hospitals where the CEO (and key personnel) has questioned why they have to belong to such an awful scheme.

I do take solace that whenever I see a hospital in the news through maiming or killing their patients they always are on the other scheme.

We market our services to hospitals and sometimes get lucky in striking the right cord with the powers that be. It is rare though.

I recently met a hospital executive who told me that they are very happy with their (non-iso) accreditation and are not interested in changing because everything is going so well. This hospital is under ministerial scrutiny because of their poor performance.

 

[teodora]

HI, Im looking for some help..we are a small company, working for tv/internet and phone providers; basically we provide skilled staff for them, some planning and design work, quality checks on residential installations; we want to get iso certified but I don't know were to begin, because I don't know how to define our product..

any ideas and help would be much appreciated

 

[Sidney Vianna]

because I don't know how to define our product..

any ideas and help would be much appreciated

Well, you are on the right track. Having a clear understanding of what is your product is paramount to a successful QMS implementation. A possible starting point could be your contracts with your customers. A contractual agreement tends to define somewhat the scope of the product (service). Another place to look at is your organization's website, if you have one. Most websites tend to "package" the organization offering, so potential customers can find your services.

 

[teodora]

thank you Sydney...we dont' have a website but the contract is a good solution. Can I exclude point 7 from the iso if we dont actually produce anything, we just give them the right people to do various jobs for the clients and also weekley reports regarding the quality checks that some inspectors to do on site..

 

[Stijloor]

thank you Sydney...we dont' have a website but the contract is a good solution. Can I exclude point 7 from the iso if we dont actually produce anything, we just give them the right people to do various jobs for the clients and also weekly reports regarding the quality checks that some inspectors to do on site..

Teodora,

No, you can not exclude Section 7 in the Standard in its entirety.
You may not produce hardware or so, but you provide a service.
"Product" is whatever you provide to your Customer(s).
There may be some requirements that you may be able to exclude.
The justification for exclusions has to be provided in your Quality Manual.
Your Certification Body, will scrutinize this to see if exclusion is warranted....

Stijloor.