Welp MagazineISO 9001 is an international standard providing organisations with a framework to run an effective Quality Management System. It can be adopted by any organisation to provide their products and services in a consistent way whilst enhancing customer satisfaction.
What are ISO training courses?
ISO 9001 is an international Standard providing organisations with a framework to run an effective Quality Management System. It can be adopted by any organisation to provide their products and services in a consistent way whilst enhancing customer satisfaction.
If you want to know more about this, then you should firstly look at the separate ISO 9001: 2008 standard. This defines the requirements of a Quality Management System. It provides a structure to strive for the ‘Continuous Improvement of Quality’.
When you take your iso training courses from an authorised supplier, you will be required to follow the standard. If you fail to develop and implement a suitable Quality Management System to address the requirements, you will not be able to implement the Standard. If you take your ISO 9001 training courses from a provider that is not authorised, this will be classed as ‘pseudo-conformity’ and is not acceptable.
Although the standard can be adopted by any organisation, it is not a ‘process’ or ‘standalone’ standard. In other words, if you are looking for a blueprint that you can take off and implement by itself, you will be dissapointed. The ISO 9001 standard describes a structure to operate within. Unless you understand the structure, you will not be able to use the standard to your advantage. ISO 9001 is not intended as specific ‘steps’ to follow. Instead, it sets out principles for organisations to follow, enabling them to implement their Quality Management System.
About ISO 9001: 2008
Standards ISO 9001: 2008 has been revised to give guidance on the implementation of the standard. This Improvement guidance gives organisations more detail on how to apply the principles of the standard, and maximise their benefits. ISO 9001: 2008 is called a “Reference” Standard compared to the earlier standards which were simply Master Standards.
Revised
For over 20 years, organisations have been implementing ISO 9001. Not only has the world changed, but the understanding of ISO 9001 has also changed. ISO has now gone back to the drawing board to re-look at the principles in the light of new technology, experience and the requirements of the marketplace. They have re-written the standard to reflect changes in the world we now work in.
The new standards have been revised to accomodate an ever increasing range of companies to adopt the Standard. Their new standards are called “Reference Standards” which give organisations an opportunity to continue to improve the benefits they derive from implementing ISO 9001.
The foundation of ISO 9001
- Ensure continuity of the Quality Management System
- Ensure the need for the Standard to be relevant and contemporary, at all times, through the identification of new market opportunities, new technology, process and process requirements, and a wide variety of organisations.
- To encourage the continuous development and improvement in quality.
The usefulness of ISO 9001
The ISO 9001 framework helps organisations focus on the aspects of their business that are most important to their customers. This helps them realise the business benefits of their efforts.
- Identifies what is important to the customer and provides a basis for continual improvement.
- Provides a common focus for the key processes of the organisation.
- Directs the achievement of these benefits through the principles of the Standard.
- Measures and records quality, provides a basis for improvement and helps to ensure conformance to customer requirements.
- Measures and directs the success of the organisation by providing a basis for continual improvement
Why ISO 9001 Training courses are important
If implemented correctly, the Standard provides a structure for organisations to continually improve their processes. This process constantly aims to meet customer needs. ISO 9001 provides a means to measure systems and processes to maximise their efficiency. This is helpful not only to manage quality, but also to manage costs and the business as a whole.
What Is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is a standard depicting the requirements for a Quality Management System. In simple terms it is a tool to control the Quality of a product or service. It’s important to note that this is a management system, not an individual set of procedures or tasks.
A Quality Management System should contain key functions such as policy, responsibilities, processes, procedures and guidance linked to specific management tools and techniques and controlled by performance measurements. However, it is not only a system of management, but also a documentation of this system.
ISO 9001 is used as a reference standard to ensure the quality of products or services offered to customers are up to international standards.
Implementing a Quality Management System has a significant role within the organisation. This is because the quality of every process and product are measured against defined procedures. The effectiveness of the Quality Management System is measured by using measures such as complaints received, market share, profitability and customer satisfaction. This helps to improve the products or services of the organisation and aids ongoing development.
The Benefits of ISO 9001
When implementing an ISO 9001 compliant system, organisations will be able to retain their competitive advantage, and provide a product or service that complies with customer requirements. There is clarity in organisation procedures, resources and responsibilities, which in turn streamlines efficiencies, lowers error rates and leads to greater customer satisfaction. It promotes communication and development of inspection, evaluation and improvement processes, speeding up the process of improvement.
