Posts Tagged ‘business management system’
ISO 9001 True or False?
Everyone has their interpretation of the ISO 9001 standard. Let’s discuss some common misunderstandings, some of these myths, urban legends or perceptions of different requirements that may still exist:
Myth: Implementing and maintaining ISO 9001 is expensive.
- False: it does not have to be expensive. A company simply needs to document its management system based on what it already does and put in place the programs required to improve on them.
Urban Legend: The ISO 9001 system is a quality system (belongs in the quality department or is the responsibility of the quality manager), or many organizations feel they need to hire somebody full time to manage the ISO 9001 system (for example, internal audit coordinator, corrective action coordinator, ISO coordinator).
- False: the ISO 9001 system covers an entire business, starting with customer requirements, review and acceptance of those requirements, executing those requirements, measuring and monitoring processes to ensure requirements are being met and then, ultimately, delivery of a product or service that meets those requirements to ensure customer satisfaction.
Perception: a quality manual has to plagiarize the ISO 9001 standard.
- False: the ISO 9001 standard states, “The organization shall establish and maintain a quality manual that includes:
- The scope of the quality management system, including details of and justification for any exclusions,
- The documented procedures established for the quality management system, or reference to them, and
- A description of the interaction between the processes of the quality management system.”
Perception: it is mandatory to have a document—for example, work instruction, flow chart, procedure—for every process in the company.
- False: ISO 9001 states, “NOTE 2 of the standard, the extent of the documentation can differ from one organization to another due to the size of organization and type of activities, the complexity of processes and their interactions, and the competence of personnel.”
This is just a short list of reasons why organizations struggle with ISO 9001 implementation. Do you have some of these myths, urban legends, misconceptions in your organization?
ISO 9001 Horror Stories
Some of the horror stories about ISO 9001 implementations include companies who have binders of procedures, work instruction, and forms (generally with a layer of dust on top) and have been trying to implement ISO 9001 anywhere from one to five years unsuccessfully. Some have spent fifty-thousand dollars and others more than two hundred-thousand dollars on internal resources and/or consultants. Some have had a prior quality manager that wrote a management system for them and then left the company and no other employee knew how to continue the quality management system requirements. Some have gone through three quality managers each of them defining, adding to the last management system, or changing requirements that result in confusion.
In many instances, we find that companies who have invested considerable time and money in the process of certification that they have a hard time letting go of it even when it has proven not to be effective or useful for them. A company must decide if they want to chase bad money with good money when faced with this problem. If you are one of these companies, consider letting the existing management system go and documenting a new and effective management system from scratch.
How many of you have an ISO 9001 implementation horror story to tell. The fact is there are far too many of you. This is your opportunity to share your story with other organizations that are just starting out. Sharing your story may help someone else avoid the pit falls of your experience and reap the rewards of your eventual success. Lets not act like capital hill, now is the prefect time to show solidarity and help our economy move forward. With each success there is a certain amount of blood sweat and tears that goes along with it. If it is possible for us to help just one organization become stronger by our lessions learned, this is the time and form to share.
The Internal Audit and Follow-up for Effectiveness
O.K. now that you have defined your internal auditing process, and have a few audits under your belt, what have you learned that will actually help you improve your organization? Corrective and preventive actions have been assigned, responses have been logged, and actions have taken placed. Did the actions taken, improve the process? This is probably the biggest stumbling block I have seen as a third party auditor, follow-up for effectiveness. Did anyone review the effectiveness of the corrective or preventive action; did it accomplish what you intended? If you do not go back and review the results of the actions taken, you have missed the boat on continual improvement. To merely find areas for improvement without making sure that they have been addressed and actual improvements have been made, is never going to move your company closer to sustained success.
Your business management system can be the best possible way to propel your organization to a new level of profitability and success, use it effectively! Make your quality management processes work for you and you will realize actual benefits that will lower costs, improve cycle times, reduce scrap, and improve customer satisfaction. You can skate by with your paper certificate, but wouldn’t you rather get something for your money?
ISO 9001 Don’t Survive, Thrive!
Why is it that when times get tuff most companies invest most of their time and money in short term short sited goals? The ultimate goal of any company should be more than just survival; it should be forward thinking total sustained success. How can a company reach for and attain sustained success with the economy in such distress? The best way is to invest in continuous process improvements that result in cost reductions and increased market share.
Becoming certified to the industry standards that your industry leaders are requiring is the surest way to stand out and get noticed. If your competition is already certified to ISO 9001, AS 9100, RC 1400, ISO 1400 or some other industry standard, they have a decided advantage over you and how much more business they will receive as a result of this certification. If you are certified, how well you manage your business processes can help or hurt your progress toward sustained success.
Many companies go after certification to satisfy a customer request or simply because they believe it the right thing to do. However, the majority of the organizations that embark on the road to certification, go into the process ill equip and ill informed. The result of such endeavors usually produces a business management system which may ultimately result in certification, but offers no advantages and becomes just another expense to absorb.
My advice, get educated, hire a competent business management consultant if you fell you need one, and make your business management system your own. Every business is different and so each business management system should be unique as well. Don’t waste hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of consulting fees to reach you goals. Take ownership of your system and make it a transparent part of your everyday work experience. When a well designed business management system is implemented, it is effortless and provides real tangible benefits that result in sustained success. Don’t survive, thrive.
ISO 9001 Is Steeped With Myths and Misconceptions
Why do so many companies shy away from becoming certified to ISO 9001? For one thing, ISO 9001 is steeped with myths and misconceptions. Let’s examine some of these.
- Perception: My Quality Manual has to plagiarize the ISO 9001 standard: False, if you have referenced the standard in your manual, why would you need to recreate it again? What would be the purpose? The only requirements stated in the new ISO 9001:2008 standard are: a scope which includes any exclusions you may have, the procedures or reference to the procedures for your management system and complete description of the interaction between the various processes that are required to operate your business.
- Perception: I must have a document (work instruction, flow chart, procedure, etc.) for every process in my company: False, The extent of the documentation that your organization will require depends on the size and complexity of your organization and how well your employees are trained to do their jobs. The only time a procedure is required is when someone cannot do their job without it. If your procedures are collecting dust, get rid of them, they will come back to bite you.
- Perception: Implementing and maintaining ISO 9001 is expensive: False, a quality system done right is both a money saver and time saver. The use of ISO 9001 software and other tools have made the job of implanting and maintaining a well run quality management system an effortless task.
- Perception: The ISO 9001 system is a Quality System (belongs in the quality department or is the responsibility of the quality manager), or many organizations feel they need to hire somebody full time to manage the ISO 9001 system (internal audit coordinator, corrective action coordinator, ISO coordinator, etc.): False, the quality management system belongs to everyone in the organization and can be assigned to any individual within the organization. Many companies assign the plant manager or supply chain manager as their management representative. Keep in mind this system belongs to everyone and everyone must participate to make it successful.
RC14001 Above and Beyond
RC14001:2005 incorporates all of the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 as well as the requirements of the Responsible Care® code. It is the ideal standard for chemical manufacturing companies who want a certified system based on an international standard that is accepted by all types of organizations worldwide.
RC14001® aims for continual improvement and demonstrated product stewardship. The third-party verification further provides credibility, ensuring continuing conformance to all requirements and expected EHS&S performance. There are business management software providers which have excellent template procedures that meet and exceed the requirements of ISO 14001 and RC 14001 for Environmental, health, safety and security to help you fast-track your system!
Streamlining Your Business
When I started my own company in 2006, I have to admit, I got in a little over my head. As a recent graduate with an MBA, I thought that I had the skills and business prowess to jump head first into owning and managing my own company. After my first few months, it was apparent that I would need to utilize more than just my business savvy in order to succeed.
Luckily for me, I was able to find business management software that made organizing and coordinating my business less of a headache. Not only did the software cut down on the time on spent managing my business, but it also made operations more streamlined and efficient. Now that I’ve been turning a profit for the last two years, I can definitely point to the software as the thing that got me, and my business, over the hump.
Software applications To Better Manage Your Environmental Processes
Lets talk about the “G” word, Green technoloy. Software applications will be one of the top ways that companies will better manage their green management processes. You not only save a tree, but you also improve your entire business management system at the same time.Elements of your environmental program such as the environmental aspects and impacts are all managed using our preventive action module, special requirements and objectives for improvement.
In fact, this software provides excellent template procedures with CIS that meet and exceed the requirements of ISO 14001 and RC 14001 for Environmental, health, safety and security to help you fast-track your system! These template procedures are easy to modify to suit your specific needs and they all work with the CIS Continuous Improvement Software.
What better way to start an environmental program than to eliminate those blue boxes by eliminating paper completely?
Business Management Software For Sustained Success
Business management software has become a great way to improve an organizations business processes and communications while reducing the amount of time and effort it take to manage the system. Years ago everything was done via telephone, in person or by way of formal letter. In the past few years things have become more immediate with the advent of the internet, e-mail and other software applications such as cis software. We are now able to communicate instantly from anywhere in the world, how great is that!
But what are the real tangibles that come with this new technology? Lower costs from reduced travel needs? Faster resolution of critical business issues? Improved communications with customers and suppliers to make the act of doing business more responsive? Or, is it just the knowledge that your overall business management systems are working 24/7 whether you are there or not? My vote would be, all of it. There is no need to struggle with how to implement and maintain a quality management system that not only meets the requirements of iso 9001, or any standard for that matter, but actually reduces costs and improves productivity.
AS 9100C What Is New?
The focus of the AS9100C requirements added to ISO 9001 is on Aerospace & Defense Industry needs. An important point is that a company currently registered to ISO 9001 that also has automotive requirements such as APQP, FMEA & PPAP built into their system or with staff that is familiar with these requirements will have an easier time upgrading their current system.
Production Process Verification (Basically the “First Article Inspection” FAI) and Work Transfer processes are AS9100 Specific, but companies experienced in PPAP will find that they are quite prepared to meet these requirements.
The chief new requirements in AS9100C focus on: Project Management, Risk Management, and changes to Configuration Management. A company with a strong, documented design and product launch process will find that they meet most of these requirements and will have suitable process to which they can add any additional items required. Companies that do not have proper processes for the above items will find a will get the most benefit in establishing and implementing these processes (Increasing efficiency & quality and reducing risk).
If the organization does not have the internal resources to implement the changes needed to comply with these new requirements, it would be a good idea to get help from a competent business management consulting firm.