If you are looking for some real expert help with how to get ISO 9001 certification, then you couldn't have picked a better article to read; particularly because our guest writer, Mark Braham, is an expert in IS0 9001:2015 (he co-wrote it) and over this three part series, he will explain how you can go about obtaining ISO 9001 certification.
This is the first from Mark, a CQI category A liaison at ISO/TC176, the international working committee responsible for writing lSO 9001:2015. He is the Chair of the UK national standards body (BSI) and managed QS1 who are responsible for collating and drafting all UK responses to ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) and UK voting on the standard.
Helping You in Obtaining ISO 9001 Certification
Before we get started, we also have this three-part series on obtaining ISO 9001 certification as a white paper if you prefer.
Now, let's take a look at what Mark discusses in this series before we hand it over to the man himself:
- the intention behind the latest update of the ISO 9001 standard
- the requirements of a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015 which may help you answer the question, 'how long does it take to get ISO 9001 certification?'.
- the thinking behind the seven quality management principles
- what is necessary in obtaining ISO 9001 certification against the seven principles to achieve ISO 9001:2015
He has been kind enough to share this with us over a series of articles.
In this first article, Mark explores:
- the intention behind the latest update of the ISO 9001 standard
- the requirements of a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015
He also gives us a glimpse at the quality management system that is key to his day job.
Now, over to the expert...
The intention behind the latest update of the ISO 9001 standard
The core intention behind the latest update of the ISO 9001 standard is to put quality at the heart of every organisation.
ISO have recognised that too often quality is not viewed as strategic, important or even very useful. Too often, the quality department is viewed by the rest of the organisation (and most damningly by the leadership team) as, ‘the department that gets our ISO certification’ and nothing more.
Part of the reason for this negative thinking is the development history of the ISO family. It was developed to certify the quality management of manufacturing companies and supply chain management. Many people have therefore continued to think about ISO 9001 certification as being:
- Product orientated
- Factory biased
- Non-strategic
- A tick box exercise
- About achieving the certificate on the wall and nothing more
In drafting ISO 9001:2015, the aim was to change this thinking and to try to change how the quality profession is thought of.
So, the intention behind the latest update of the ISO 9001 standard was to:
- Make it absolutely relevant to service industries such as health, government, finance…
- Take into account current technology and ways of working – for example completely getting rid of the concept of the Quality Manual
- Make it as relevant to multi-national organisations and supply chains as to small, even micro companies
Image sourced from: swtc.edu
The requirements of a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015
During the drafting process of ISO 9001:2015 even the name Quality Management System (QMS) was debated long and hard. The name Business Management System (BMS) was proposed – and although rejected, the fact that it was considered is telling.
It seems that even amongst us quality professionals it is recognised that the word ‘quality’ is seen as synonymous with something non-strategic - not core to the real business of the organisation and , dare I say it, a bit geeky.
Although a name change to Business Management System was rejected, the core requirements for a QMS to comply with ISO 9001:2015 are however that the QMS is strategic, central to the core business of the organisation and relevant to all employees.
This is because the core requirements of ISO 9001:2015 are that any QMS must:
- Meet or enhance customer satisfaction
- Meet all statutory and regulatory requirements
These of course, both align with the strategy of the organisation and are relevant to everyone in the organisation. When supported by the requirement that the context of the QMS must be:
- A process approach - which enables an organisation to plan its processes and their interactions
- Within a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle - which enables an organisation to ensure that its processes are adequately resourced and managed, and that opportunities for improvement are acted on
- Risk based thinking - enabling organisations to determine the factors that could cause processes and its quality management system to deviate from the planned results and to put in place preventive controls
ISO 9001:2015 puts the Quality Management System firmly at the heart of any organisation.
Image sourced from: fennutilities.com
Doing the day job
As well as sitting on and leading several quality committees, I am Head of Business Assurance at The AA.
Obviously, it’s important to me that the AA’s Quality Management System is compliant with the latest 9001 standard both in specifics and culture. The Quality Management System for the AA is an Integrated Management System – which supports the whole business with Quality Management, Risk and Opportunity Management, Continuity Management, Health and Safety and more ….
Our IMS sits firmly at heart of the AA and most importantly puts our customers at the heart of everything we do.
Get ISO 9001 Certification: The Next Step
We thank Mark for his key insights on obtaining ISO 9001 certification.
In his next article, Mark will move onto examining the seven Quality Management Principles, which every Quality Management System must comply with, in order to satisfy the ISO 9001 certification requirements.
He will examine what compliance to each of these principle is intended to achieve and how to demonstrate compliance.
Part two and three of Mark's series on getting ISO certified can be found here:
Or, to download Mark's white paper containing all the help and expertise covered in the three part series, click the GET IT NOW button below:
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