Re: Strategic Planning
In order to be a successful business, you must have a strategic plan. That strategic plan must support the vision and mission of the organization. The vision, mission and strategic plan must be supported by quality policy and objectives. In short, the strategic planning exercise is a part of the QMS.
One must avoid top management's desire to put the ISO requirements on QA and allow them to totally disengage. If top management is not driving the QMS, you should look for a new employer!
Excellent advice, although personally I might try to change things first, before seeking alternative employment (especially right now).
The example you mentioned is exactly wha is happening, the business management is being dropped in the lap of QA while top management works on the assembly line and fights fires.
Well, that isn't a quality management system, and it sure as hell doesn't reflect any kind of strategic planning!
we have had much difficulty in achieveing and maintaining compliance with ISO 9001-2000. We are certified but struggling.
Without having some kind of strategic plan - and then
actually using that plan to manage the business (not just dumping it on the shelf and racing off to fight more fires), you will continue to struggle. I would have a really good look at the PDSA /PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Study, Act) because that's an essential improvement tool underlying the Standard, and sounds like something that isn't understood/only poorly, and not actually applied.
... My take is, and guide me if I am off base, that the QMS criteria should serve as a guideline during strategic planning. Use it like a gap analysis to determine the next strategies.
Um... not quite sure what you mean by 'QMS criteria to serve as a guideline?'
Yup, thats why I eluded to the chicken or the egg in an earlier post. It really is a mindset to establish. Do you use the management system to achieve quality or the quality system to achive business? Not sure that is really matters as long as we achieve the objectives?
Planning comes first. You plan for what you want to achieve. The 'management system' and the 'quality system' are
NOT separate things: it's a quality management system you are aiming for & required to have, not a 'management "system"' with a bit of QA tacked on the side.
