The ISO Show Episode 10 -ISO 9001 Steps to Success – Part 3

You’ve done all the hard work, the Quality Management System (QMS) has been created and implemented. Our final episode in the ISO 9001 Steps to Success Podcast series with Rachel Churchman covers the final critical stage – compliance and preparation for your certification assessment.

This is where you need to prove that the quality system is effective – that it is producing the results you want; better quality products, services, happy clients and reduction in costs.

The final stages include management and employee involvement, Internal Audits and Management Review.  Here are a few tips from this week’s ISO Show Podcast:-

Management involvement and employee awareness

• Check all employees have been made aware of the Management System and have been involved. 
• Have training/competency records been updated to reflect this?
• Ensure you’ve got employee ‘buy-in’ – get representation across your business.

Internal audits

• Are a mandatory requirement of ISO 9001
• Checks that the QMS is being followed and clearly understood within the business
• Don’t expect the system to be perfect – take the findings from the audits and use them to make improvements
• Internal Audits with Blackmores are an inclusive experience. It helps to get feedback from the business on how the system is working for them.  It’s definitely not a tick-box exercise.
• Communicate in advance which procedures are to be audited and who is to be involved.
• Provide an opportunity for employees to have a voice – bring opportunities to management’s attention.

Management Review

• Is a mandatory requirement for ISO 9001
• A holistic review of the Quality Management System’s performance
• Specific inputs and outputs provided in the standard for the meeting i.e. audit findings, trends.
• Enables fact-based decision making
• Proves that that QMS is effective and provides results on the value.
• Can be an ‘eye-opening’ experience for Management
• Make sure outputs from the Management Review get fed back to the workforce to encourage further opportunities for improvement.

If you would like to understand what to expect in as assessment listen to episode 3 of the ISO Show.

Listen to the ‘ISO 9001 Steps to success’ series by subscribing to us on iTunes or Soundcloud

And click HERE for further information on our ISO 9001 Steps to success service

To help out the ISO Show:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.