ISO 9001 - Quality Management

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 45001 certification is obtained after validation of the continuous improvement process by an approved organization. If the latter considers that the company has implemented measures to improve the safety at work of its employees, that these measures are deemed to be important, concrete and dedicated to reducing the risk at work, certification may be obtained. . The audit will be considered favorable, and the company will have to persevere in its efforts to maintain the certification over time.

ISO 9001:2015 applies to any organization, regardless of size or industry. More than one million organizations in over 160 countries have applied ISO 9001 requirements to their quality management systems.

Organizations of all types and sizes find that using ISO 9001 helps them:

Organize processes
Improve process efficiency
Continuously improve

What is covered by the ISO 9001:2015 ?

ISO 9001 is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology and provides a process-oriented approach to documenting and reviewing the structure, responsibilities and procedures necessary to achieve effective quality management in an organization. Specific sections of the standard contain information on many topics, such as:

Requirements for a quality management system, including documented information, planning and determination of process interactions
Management Responsibilities
Resource management, including human resources and the working environment of an organization
Realization of the product, including the stages from design to delivery
Measurement, analysis and improvement of the quality management system through activities such as internal audits and corrective and preventive actions

The changes introduced in the 2015 revision of ISO 9001 aim to ensure that ISO 9001 continues to adapt to the changing environments in which organizations operate. Some of the major ISO 9001:2015 updates include:

The introduction of new terminology
Restructuring of certain information
A focus on risk-based thinking to improve the application of the process approach
Improved applicability for services
Increased leadership requirements

How to get the ISO 9001 certification ?

Préparation

The first step is to set up an ISO project, with a view to improving the quality structure within the company. Preparing the ground includes the following measures: the inventory of the organizational field, the determination of areas for improvement, the involvement of management. It is advisable to hire an external consultant who will carefully prepare the ground before launching the certification request. He defines the working methods, in consultation with the project team. The main mission of the consultant will be to teach the procedure to follow, to sensitize the members of the personnel about the stakes related to the quality, to examine the gaps to be filled in order to ensure the full conformity of the system with the standards of the 'ISO.

Carrying out

After the guidelines have been installed, the quality system will take effect. It is necessary to write the working supports: the quality manual, the forms, the dashboards... The introduction of the necessary reforms must be done gently, paying particular attention to the appropriate training and support actions. In addition, the application of the new system takes some time. It will depend on the commitment of staff to embrace innovative strategies and to make frequent adjustments in order to comply with ISO requirements. Internal audits will be responsible for validating the success of the system, repeatedly and continuously. Under the assistance of the external consultant, carrying out the audits should not take longer than three months. Even if they defer the case, audits are worth it. They offer the assurance that your request for certification will not be refused.

Certification

It is better to wait for the validation of the preparatory audits before initiating the application for obtaining certification. For this, the company will have to contact an accredited body that carries out certification activities. It is desirable that the certification body has proven experience in auditing, as well as a solid understanding of the business sector of the company.

What are the benefits of the ISO 9001 certification ?

ISO 9001 helps organizations ensure that their customers consistently receive high quality products and services, which in turn brings many benefits, including satisfied customers, management, and employees.

Because ISO 9001 specifies the requirements for an effective quality management system, organizations find that using the standard helps them:

Organize a QMS
Create Satisfied Customers, Management, and Employees
Continuously improve their processes
Save costs

In Nevada, the Clark County School District used ISO 9001 to save $174 million over 10 years. Over 3,000 employees have been trained on the standard, enabling three critical components of system success: training, communication and compliance, and efficiency.

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