ISO900 & ISO Management Systems

Question 1

What is ISO900?

Answer 1

• The ISO 9000 is a family of quality management systems standards designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers & other stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or program.

Question 2

Basic Requirements of ISO900

Answer 2

• Processes that affect quality are documented
• Records & data that describe that quality are maintained
• Processes produce consistent quality.

Question 3

The need for ISO900

Answer 3

• because a company’s existing customers insist
• potential customers will only deal with certified organisations.
• the “badge” is good for business.
• it’s a good way of enforcing discipline on the workforce.

Question 4

Benefits & Aims

Answer 4

• Companies that are forced to adopt the certificate have a better understanding of their operations.
• Users of the standard commonly report on how it has, often for the first time, forced them to understand and document their system, and how its operation changes to one based on “fire prevention” rather than “fire fighting.
• One of the other benefits the standard provides is the regular health check provided by internal & external audits of company policy.

Question 5

Problems & Concerns

Answer 5

• only 25% of UK registered companies have seen significant gains in the quality of their business and its output.
• The same percentage has seen no tangible benefits and some may even be worse off.
• Other percentage will probably only have seen minor, relatively short term improvements.
• Increasing reports of a shortage of experienced consultants and auditors to help in its implementation and development.
• An army of poorly qualified, so called “quality consultants” has formed to fill the gap.
• Many businesses are being left with inflexible and over prescriptive systems that are expensive and difficult, if not impossible, to maintain.
• A commonly heard complaint about ISO 9000 is that, while it may guarantee a particular level of service it does little, in itself, to ensure that that level is continuously improved.

Question 6

4 levels of documentation

Answer 6

• Management responsibility - policy, objectives, planning, system, review etc.

• Resource management – human resources, information, facilites etc.
• Product realisation - customer, design, purchasing, production, calibration etc.

• Measurement, analysis and improvement - audit, process/product control, improvement.

Question 7

The 8 Principles

Answer 7

1. CUSTOMER FOCUS:- Understanding their current and future needs and meeting these requirements.
2. LEADERSHIP:- For unity of purpose & Direction.
3. INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE:- Developing and fully utilising their abilities.
4. PROCESS DESIGN:- Managing resources as a process
   Improving the efficiency of those processes.
5. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT:- Identifying and understanding the processes of the system.
6. CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT: permanent objective.
7. FACTUAL APPROACH TO DECISION MAKING:- Logical analysis of data & information.
8. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS:- For the creation of value.