A year ago I worked for a new Japanese automotive company for about 4 months. When I left, I had created a Quality Manual and some procedures that were still in the draft stage. I am now working for another new Japanese company that is preparing to start the ISO process. Is it OK for me to use the information from my previous company as a basis for my new company's QMS. Any help is appreciated.
ISO 9001 Quality Manual - Is it OK for me to use content from my previous company?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual
Welcome to the Cove.
If you're looking for legal advice, you've come to the wrong place.
Having said that, I think there's a fairly blurry line between the intellectual property rights of one's former employer(s) and work done for the present employer when it comes to things such as writing QMS documents. A lot probably depends on what you mean by "...information from my previous company." If you're talking about a general framework of documentation, I don't think there should be much of a problem, but if you're talking about proprietary processes, you had better be careful.
Welcome to the Cove.
If you're looking for legal advice, you've come to the wrong place.
Having said that, I think there's a fairly blurry line between the intellectual property rights of one's former employer(s) and work done for the present employer when it comes to things such as writing QMS documents. A lot probably depends on what you mean by "...information from my previous company." If you're talking about a general framework of documentation, I don't think there should be much of a problem, but if you're talking about proprietary processes, you had better be careful.
H
Hodgepodge
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual
It might not be a bad start. It will depend on how things are done in the new company. Things like corrective action will have the same fundamentals but production control may be completely different. You will have to create the manual based on how your new company operates.
It might not be a bad start. It will depend on how things are done in the new company. Things like corrective action will have the same fundamentals but production control may be completely different. You will have to create the manual based on how your new company operates.
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual
Hi Mike:
Welcome - check out the 'post attachments' green box at the top of the page. There are many examples posted there. There are also many threads discussing this topic. Please read them before you head down the path of a lot of work creating a monster! The threads can be found below (some of them)
Hi Mike:
Welcome - check out the 'post attachments' green box at the top of the page. There are many examples posted there. There are also many threads discussing this topic. Please read them before you head down the path of a lot of work creating a monster! The threads can be found below (some of them)
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual
It shouldn't be a problem. I think many of us have developed things that work in a general way and took them with us when we moved to new employers. What has been seen can't be unseen.
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual - Is it OK for me to use content from my previous company
But if this information is in your control in an other s/w media, I feel that its a step too far using it directly.
QMS and its documentation must be built around what is and can be best practised. There is really no big rocket science in any company QMS documentation.
If the information is in your thought process and you can adopt it in your new situation as suitable., there perhaps is no big deal.
But if this information is in your control in an other s/w media, I feel that its a step too far using it directly.
QMS and its documentation must be built around what is and can be best practised. There is really no big rocket science in any company QMS documentation.
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual - Is it OK for me to use content from my previous company
I agree with Jim on this, Mike.
But, I'd ask you to consider that if you are going to take a manual for example, and use that, unless you are going to change a substantial amount of content, you might ask yourself, what the good of such a manual is. What I mean is if it's so 'generic' that you only have to change a few bits of info, company names, titles etc. what benefit such a document is to the organization. If it's a 'name changed' copy of ISO 9001, then I wouldn't waste my time using it!
I agree with Jim on this, Mike.
But, I'd ask you to consider that if you are going to take a manual for example, and use that, unless you are going to change a substantial amount of content, you might ask yourself, what the good of such a manual is. What I mean is if it's so 'generic' that you only have to change a few bits of info, company names, titles etc. what benefit such a document is to the organization. If it's a 'name changed' copy of ISO 9001, then I wouldn't waste my time using it!
Re: ISO 9001 Quality Manual - Is it OK for me to use content from my previous company
Hi Mike,
welcome on the forum.
I agree with the other expert covers here.
However, I would also suggest to look at the characteristics of the current QMS. I mean that QMS processes of your current company may differ from those of the previous one. Sometimes I have seen document and manual done in a sort of "copy and paste" , but doing so does not carry addes value to the project of the certification.
On the other hand, I think you could capitalize your past experience and competences that you have matured for this new task.
I do not know the level of maturity of the ISO for this new company with regard to the previous one and this could be a potential pitfall if you want to repeat something to which the company has not been accustomed to.
Good luck and stay in touch with this precious forum.
Hi Mike,
welcome on the forum.
I agree with the other expert covers here.
However, I would also suggest to look at the characteristics of the current QMS. I mean that QMS processes of your current company may differ from those of the previous one. Sometimes I have seen document and manual done in a sort of "copy and paste" , but doing so does not carry addes value to the project of the certification.
On the other hand, I think you could capitalize your past experience and competences that you have matured for this new task.
I do not know the level of maturity of the ISO for this new company with regard to the previous one and this could be a potential pitfall if you want to repeat something to which the company has not been accustomed to.
Good luck and stay in touch with this precious forum.