Organization unsure about the ISO 9001 implementation route? Share your thoughts.

[JaneB]

you can safely ignore all of their claims that ISO 9001 / 3rd party certification will improve your products and satisfy your customers. You (and your qms) have to do that!

Yes indeedy!

 

[Phil Fields]

I agree with your second, third and 4th questions, but not the first. Partly because I think it is redundant (given the others) but mainly because not every company either has - or needs - anything called a 'Vision' nor a 'Mission'. Some business planning, yes.

Yes they may be redundant, but this was meant to provide direction of thought. The real question is, will implementation of ISO 9000 help to achieve the company’s goals?

 

[tamale]

Don't worry about ISO 9001. If there's a business case for it (e.g., a potential new contract requires it) then management will support it.

So instead just put in a simple quality system that complies with ISO requirements. Then when you need to get registered you just ask a registrar to do the audit.

I must agree with Duke Okes, the essential matter is that you have a system that will provide results.

Just do it, dont call it ISO, find an in house name for your system. Dont call an audit an audit call it a follow-up or something else. Get my meaning?

It's like putting cheese sauce on your kids brocoli, they will love it and you will be sure of the results.

Tamale

 

[John Martinez]

If you go onto a few 3rd party CB /Registrars web sites they will have a few other ideas. But again you can safely ignore all of their claims that ISO 9001 / 3rd party certification will improve your products and satisfy your customers. You (and your qms) have to do that!

However, I have seen some non-compliant, so called "compliant" systems. Most I've audited, in fact. (2nd party - supplier claims compliance).

 

[Paul Simpson]

However, I have seen some non-compliant, so called "compliant" systems. Most I've audited, in fact. (2nd party - supplier claims compliance).

 

[JaneB]

Me too.

A noncompliant compliant company? Hello, oxymoron.

 

[chris02 - 2011]

Re: Organization unsure about the ISO 9001 route? Share your thoughts.

Hi all,

Apologies for the delay in responding.

Have to agree I don’t see 9001 as complex but getting the point across is not always the easiest thing to do.

Golfman

Makes sense to ‘Keep it Simple’ I am currently reviewing all departments to get a rough idea as to where we stand now, as you say hopefully 20% to do, is better than starting from scratch. The key for me is that we adjust what we have and it does not become an exercise in document creation.

Jim

Point taken hard evidence is what I require. Another key aspect for me is that we are relatively small business with around 260 staff, split into 20 odd departments each of which appears to be business in its own right. Lots of processes are similar but everyone is doing things differently, hopefully 9001 would be the catalyst to bring our organisation together.

Jane

As you say we are doing everything in the list but I am sure we are not very efficient in any of them.

Boris

As the business is looking to expand outside the UK I am sure 9001 will help when talking to potential new clients.
Fewer 2nd party audits is already relevant to us as we are going to have to comply with 27001 for one of our clients so 9001 would probably help there to.
As we deal with lots of public sector organisations none of which are based on preferred supplier status, selling has always been difficult. Hopefully it could open more doors for us.
As you say we have to manage what we do but I need to pull everyone together and I am hoping 9001 can do that.

Thanks again all

 

[chris02 - 2011]

All good replies.
I would be asking:
• What is the companies Vision, Mission, Business Plan
• What does the company want to achieve as a business
o Then ask how does it plan on achieving it
• In the present state can the business achieve those goals?

Will the implementation of ISO 9000 help to achieve those goals and business plans?

We have a vision, mission but our business plan is done very much on the fly, we are working from year to year 3 and 5 year plans are not there at this time and should be.
We know what our vision is but many staff do not actively use it when looking to move the business forward.

I do believe that 9001 will give us structure to what we do, without best proactice I feel we will keep stumbling along.

 

[chris02 - 2011]

I agree with your second, third and 4th questions, but not the first. Partly because I think it is redundant (given the others) but mainly because not every company either has - or needs - anything called a 'Vision' nor a 'Mission'. Some business planning, yes.

For me its about long term planning and I think a stick is needed to achieve it.

 

[chris02 - 2011]

I must agree with Duke Okes, the essential matter is that you have a system that will provide results.

Just do it, dont call it ISO, find an in house name for your system. Dont call an audit an audit call it a follow-up or something else. Get my meaning?

It's like putting cheese sauce on your kids brocoli, they will love it and you will be sure of the results.

Tamale

Good point, I have already stopped talking about 'quality' and moved to Business Improvement. I have also considered restricting the scope of 9001 by just stating with one area of the business and using that as an example to others.