QUALITY MANAGEMENT: ISO 9001
INTRODUCTION
Quality management is essential for the continued growth of any organization. It does not imply that organizations that do not adhere to Quality Management Systems do not prosper. However, it goes without saying that organizations that enjoy a robust QMS tend to thrive in all scenarios (Asq.org, 2017). By definition, a QMS is a document that contains all the processes, policies, and procedures particularly those related to its core area, that are essential for the success of an organization. Some examples of Quality management systems include ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and so on.
EVALUATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Interestingly, the documents which list out the procedures, policies, and processes that form part of the core functions of the business are often referred to as QMS. However, they are merely the QMS Manual and merely describe the system. The QMS essentially is an integration of the different internal processes that form part of the organization. Quality Management System aims at setting a benchmark or standard with regard to the performance of the organization in its core area of operations. Thus, by extension, the QMS is able to eliminate non-conformance to these standards.
REVIEW OF ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is counted among the more popular certifications for Quality management systems. There are several versions of ISO 9001. The latest in the series is ISO 9001: 2015 which has incorporated several changes over its earlier version of ISO 9001:2008. The new version adopts a higher-level structure which allows for better compatibility with other quality management systems like ISO 14001 and is designed so that it can easily respond to the latest trends in management. The newer version also increases the importance given to risk. Therefore organizations that are already certified as ISO 2001: 2008 have been allowed a transition period of three years to migrate to the enhanced version of ISO 9001 (Iso.org, 2017), (Asq.org, 2017).
The ISO 9001 standard is centered on certain principles of quality management like leadership, process approach, continual improvement, relationship management, customer satisfaction, engagement of people i.e. fostering a sense of ownership within the organization, and evidence-based decision making (9001:2015, 2017). The benefits of being ISO 9001 certified are simple. The primary benefit for any business lies in the certification that clearly states that all the services and products being offered are consistent in quality. The certification also highlights the fact that both the services and the goods, as the case may not only meet the needs and requirements of the customer but also are in compliance with the laws and legislation of the host country as well as meet the requirements of the organization itself. Thus, in simple words, it can be stated that the ISO 9001 certification in Quality Management provides a positive image of the business due to its compliance with predefined international standards. This is seen in the streamlined business processes, continual improvement as well as increased customer satisfaction (ISO, 2017).
FLOWCHART
The implementation flowchart depicts the entire process involved in the process, right from evaluating the objectives and targets, to organizing the resources and raising awareness onwards, through the actual steps of implementation including drafting the manual and conducting management reviews. Periodic internal audits and continual improvement also form part of the flowchart.
SELECTION OF OTHER QUALITY TOOLS
Improvement of processes is an important aspect of ISO 9001. This stems from the principle of continual improvement as well as the ingrained function of streamlining operations that is an integral part of the Quality Management System, ISO 9001. While ISO 9001 is not specific in its energy-saving concerns or environmental safety, incorporating them alongside QMS would be beneficial to the organization. Two such tools that would be beneficial are:
· The principles of Six Sigma
· The Principles of ISO 14001
Six Sigma essentially focuses on reducing deviations from the standard mean in business processes. This would mean that the processes within the organization would be streamlined to improve capabilities and decrease variations in processes. This would result in an increase in performance as well as an improvement in employee morale and profits. The improvement in the quality of services and products would further result in improved quality and an increase in customer confidence and delight.
ISO 14001, on the other hand, focuses on reducing the harmful effects of the organizations activities on the environment. This would include working on reducing carbon footprints, conserving natural resources, and looking at using alternate sources of renewable energy. These simple measures would go a long way towards ensuring that the business remains viable while attracting clientele who are environmentally conscious. The local community, which would benefit from these measures, would add to the goodwill of the business as well.
SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS TO ISO 9001:2015
Adhering to the seven core principles of QMS would help improve the probability of success during its implementation phase. Since the improved version lays emphasis on risk-based thinking (Asq.org, 2017), employees must be encouraged to take risks and think out of the box. This measure would help the organization to further streamline its processes and thus improve its efficiency. Since the higher-level structure of ISO 9001: 2015 lends itself to easy integration with other management systems like ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 (Asq.org, 2017), they too should form part of the QMS. Active measures to reduce carbon footprints like reduced consumption of non-renewable fuels through the carpooling systems should be a key component of the QMS.
CONCLUSION
Implementing a Quality Management System like the highly popular ISO 9001 is a boon to business organizations since the certification clearly indicates the management’s commitment to improving the efficiency of the business through streamlining processes while improving customer relationships and people engagement. The continual improvement plan that is part of the QMS is an added bonus for customers who look for high standards in their services and products. The importance given to risk in the new version of ISO 9001 would also act as an initiative for the business to adopt newer alternatives to existing processes, thus helping to improve the efficiency of the processes.
REFERENCES
9001:2015, I. (2017). ISO 9001:2015 - Quality management systems -- Requirements. [online] Iso.org.
Anon, (2017). Moving from 2008 to 2015. [online]
Asq.org. (2017). 7 Basic Quality Tools: Quality Management Tools | ASQ. [online]
Asq.org. (2017). ISO 9001:2015 - What is the 9001 Version 2015 Standard? | ASQ. [online]
Asq.org. (2017). Six Sigma Definition - What is Lean Six Sigma? | ASQ. [online]
ISO. (2017). ISO 9001:2015 - Just published! [online]
Iso.org. (2017). ISO 9001 Revision. [online]
Ratings
