2008 version of ISO 9001

The new version of ISO 9001 was finally released late in 2008.

But really it remains virtually unchanged. Such 'changes' as are there are restricted to minor changes or rearrangement of wording.

There are no new requirements at all (requirements are mandatory things that you must do).

There is a summary of the changes here.

Faking it

A story caught my eye in the paper recently.

Dubbed the 'Mrs Doubtfire Bandit', Nino Lanu wore a wig and women's clothing when he robbed a Bayswater (Vic) bank earlier this year.

He paid careful attention to detail. Bought a black wig and a pale skirt from op shops. Glued fake nails to his fingers and wore a pair of 'fake boobs' he had made. He borrowed make-up from his mother (wonder what he told her?), and added black tights, sunglasses and roller blades to complete the ensemble.

Just one oversight.

He forgot to shave.

That's the trouble with faking. Astonishingly, I still hear of cases where companies plan to fake it 'for the auditor'. Or say why bother to review policies or procedures, as no one pays them any attention anyway. At it's most extreme, that can lead to firms behaving as appallingly as Enron and HIH did. (And causing enormous damage.)

You have to go to a lot of trouble to put up a false front, as faking it actually takes a huge amount of effort. And ultimately, it will come back to bite you. When it isn't real, often people come to grief over something that's so basic to what they really are and do, that they overlook it.

OK, it's a long way from Nino (currently in jail, perhaps contemplating where he went wrong) to faking it in your business management system, whether to employees, customers, suppliers or auditors.

But the principle's still the same. Keep it real. Say what you do and mean, and then do what you say.

For example, whatever you have as the policies (business rules) for your organisation, they need to be real. Not fluff, not words you put together because you think they sound or look good. Much better something clear and simple and REAL that you live by, than something that sounds impressive, but actually means nothing.

Or, even worse has absolutely no reality or substance at all behind it, which was the case with an organisation I audited recently. Or another, a former client I recently stopped working with, principally because of the disparity between their stated principles and values, and the decisions and actions they actually made in practice.

A fundamental company principle of mine is:
If it isn't valuable, Mapwright won't do it, let alone charge for it.

It's relatively easy to have principles when sticking to them doesn't cost us, or not much.
The true test I think is how strongly you follow them when there is a cost (not necessarily financial). With the former client, after working for some time to effect change, I eventually realised it wasn't going to happen, and chose to terminate my services.

Steve Simpson has written a brilliant little book called 'Cracking the Corporate Culture Code: Strategies to Create a Culture of Service'. Contending that many organisations have the wrong approach to service improvement, he introduces the concept of 'Unwritten Ground Rules' and shows how they dictate corporate behaviour. Very readable, and well worth reading. Steve is based in Australia, and speaks internationally. If you're interested, you can get his book direct from them at Keystone Management.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it?
The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune. Click here > DIY ISO 9001

** Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above. If you do use the material please send us a note, so we can take a look. Thanks.
© Mapwright Pty Ltd
Jane Bennett
A simple, practical quality system that works
www.mapwright.com.au
-----------------------------------------------------

How to Interview

When setting up, or maintaining a system, we often need to get information from each other. Here are some examples of questions I use with willing interviewees.

'Thanks for making the time, Mario. We need to map out the pre-press system to see how it works, and your manager says you know it better than anyone'.
I want them to be at ease, not spend time guessing why I'm there. And I won't assume that they were told, or remembered.

'I've got this list of questions I planned earlier, but others will probably come up. Oh, and I write notes, so I can remember what you tell me later. OK with you?'
I want them to be comfortable. I may use some small talk to break the ice, if it's the first time I've ever met this person. People who are relaxed and at ease will give better information. (If you make them uncomfortable, they'll probably just try to get rid of you as fast as they can.)

'What kicks off a pre-print job for you? Where does it begin?'
I ask simple questions, and keep the language simple and clear. And I also ask them to tell me if they don't understand what I mean.

'Uh huh. So, after you get this stupid form that makes life a misery, what do you do with it?' or 'Why are jobs like that always such a bloody nightmare?'
Meet them where they are, and use their language and terms.

'That's really interesting - I never realised it could be so difficult. Must be a bit of a challenge for you at times.'
Stay interested and non-judgemental. If you aren't, it'll show, and close down lines of communication very, very quickly. But don't fake it. Pick something that IS interesting to you.

'Mmm.' or 'Uh huh.'
Allow them pauses and think time. Don't complete sentences for them, fill in a word when they're hunting for one, or ask another question when they pause for 'too long.' I use the time to check my notes or plan, and let them fill the spaces.

'If you could make it happen the way you wanted it, how would that look?'
When they get blocked, I often try a hypothetical to get the talk moving again.

'Before we go on to the next bit, could you just clear up for me who would contact the customer in those circumstances?'
If I'm not clear, I may not be able to listen fully to the next thing they talk about. If I don't want to interrupt the flow, though, I'll make a note of the question & return to it later.

'I'm not quite clear... can you say a bit more about that?'
I'm prompting them to ramble a bit without specific guidance.
Clarifications may elicit other information that they hadn't remembered, outside their awareness till they start talking more.

'Can you show me? Preferably on a real example?'
Being shown and stepped through a process often brings things to light that they just take for granted, and never thought to explain.

'So, as soon as the plate is created, you send it through to production?'
I'm trying to get corrected. Perhaps my open questions haven't worked, so I'll try making a statement I know is incomplete or incorrect in some way. It often moves them to correct me.

'Is there anything else we haven't covered? If you do remember something later, will you let me know? And I'll be sure to show you the drafts.'
I want them to have an avenue to contact me further, if they do, and also to feel some involvement in the process.

May your business thrive and prosper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it?
The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune. Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html

** Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above. If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.

Not happy, Jane

After upgrading my computer recently, I spent some time getting it all running smoothly again. My internal administration includes a register of software and activation keys. So you'd think it would be reasonably quick & easy to reinstall, yes? (Hmm, can I hear you laughing?)

Most software reinstalled without a hitch, but with a few exceptions. The hitches included Passphrase Keeper (PPK) (a wonderful program that safely stores that multitude of
passwords we all need), the well-known compression utility, WinZip, & a large well-known supplier's.

I downloaded the latest versions of Winzip and PPK, and could use them, but only as evaluation versions. Within one day of my emails, both were registered & fully functional again, thanks to the exceedingly rapid & personal response from both firms. Free upgrade to Passphrase Keeper. Winzip offered the previous version free, or a discount on the latest. Since I bought it in 1996, with free upgrades ever since, paying for the latest version felt very fair.

Wish I could say the same with the other program I've been using for some financials. Let's call it 'SlowIt'. The reinstall process was cumbersome, ill-designed, time-consuming and frustrating.

I had to locate the original disk (from 4 years ago!) and install that and then register it. Which meant phoning them for a code. And only then could I install the later upgrade on top.

Major problem: the upgrade wouldn't install, and kept aborting.

And only one of the 5 separate people I had to talk to (because of course, none of them would wait on the 'help' line) sounded in the least bit interested. I finally gave up, after having spent close to half a day on installing, uninstalling, reinstalling, not to mention waiting on the
call line, and their 'solution': the problem had to be at my end, so I was to phone (again!!) for technical support. At $4.50 per minute.

And all this for legal software, that I've already paid for.

The point? My experience with the strongly customer-focused companies was excellent. It wasn't just their products, it was also the people involved, and the fact that someone had thought through the process, and made it work smoothly.

And so I'll not just keep supporting their products, but I'll tell others, readily buy something else from them, and also sent them unsolicited testimonials, telling them how happy I was.

And SlowIt? I've decided to ditch that program -it's always been problematic - and find an alternative.

I wonder if you have thought recently about what your customers' experience really is? And even better, if you've done anything about it? (And I don't mean those silly 'tick the box here' forms that none of us ever do.

I've written about customer satisfaction before, probably will again. The ISO 9001 Standard makes it a primary focus - it's as fundamental as that.

The Standard says you must have effective arrangements to communicate with your customers, including customer feedback & complaints. You also have to 'monitor information relating to
customer perception as to whether [your organisation] has met customer requirements'. Simply put, know or find out, what they think. Did they get what they wanted?

I wish I had a dollar for every person who's told me that 9001 makes you have customer satisfaction surveys. It doesn't.

And I promise you, the phrase 'customer satisfaction survey' does not appear anywhere in it. But you DO need to know if your customers perceive you as having met their requirements.

Because if you haven't, at the very least you'll lose customers.

At worst, you could lose much more.

I'm looking forward to a trouble-free, non-IT dominated period ahead.

Hope yours is good also.

Do customers really value ISO 9000?

A couple of articles caught my attention in a recent ISO Management Systems magazine* (OK, I know I need a life, but I found it interesting).

The first presented the results of one of the few surveys carried out by a professional market research organisation to find out what consumers know (or care) about ISO 9000. The survey was done in the UK, which has perhaps the most mature usage of the ISO 9000 series worldwide.

A summary of key findings:

'More than 1/4 (26%) of the general adult population was already aware of the standards. Knowledge was concentrated among working people.

Results suggest positive attitudes towards ISO 9000 and companies certified to the standard. They tend to perceive products and services associated with ISO 9000 as being of higher quality. In particular:

• Consumers are more likely to contact a company if it uses 'ISO 9000' in the labelling and marking of products/services
  
• Consumers possess greater levels of trust and confidence in 'ISO 9000' products and services
  
• The labelling of products or services with a logo denoting 'ISO 9000' is likely to cause consumers to prefer them.'

One interesting finding was that it would be 'beneficial for companies having certification to promote increased public awareness of ISO 9000, because increased levels of consumer awareness should improve levels of confidence and trust in their products and services'.

In other words: if you have it, use it. Tell your customers and prospects you have it AND wherever possible educate them in what that means: particularly the benefits for them.

But do note that if you are certified, you can only use your certification in accordance with its permitted use. For example, you cannot claim a product is 'ISO 9000' certified. You can claim
it has been made by a company certified to ISO 9000. Check with your certifier (auditor) if you are unsure.

What's the difference? Well, most standards are product standards - specifying what a product must have, do or be. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are the exceptions: both are generic standards that apply to business management systems, not products. So they apply to the business itself - the system that a business uses to manage itself by, to produce its products or services. Whereas a product standard applies only to what a business makes or products: its products.

And your certifier will be (quite rightly) distinctly unhappy if you claim something that isn't true: ie, claim that your wonderful widget products are certified, if they aren't. Among other things you would be misleading the public.

I'll tell you about the other one another time. May all your business be good business.

*Reference: Do consumers really care about ISO 9001 certification? J Tannock & Henry Brown, Nottingham University Business School, published in ISO Management Systems, May-June 2006 edition, Vol 6 #3

How to choose your ISO auditor

"Now would be a good time to start thinking about your auditor," I said.

My client made a face. "Does it matter?" Kate asked. "They're all pretty much the same, aren't they?"

It's a common belief, but very mistaken. Who to choose as your auditor is, after deciding to "go for ISO", a very important decision. The proper name is ‘certifier’ or ‘registrar’ (different countries prefer different terms). No matter which, they are the organisation that audits you against the Standard and decides if you meet it.

Like Kate, many people don’t understand what they do, let alone how important they are.
Why? Because you're going to have a business relationship with the certifier, and particularly the person they assign to your company as Lead Auditor. They interpret the Standard(s) and the requirements. They inspect and test your system against the requirements you want to be certified for. And decide if your system measures up – ie, meets the requirements. So the decisions they make will affect you a lot, not least in whether you achieve (or continue) your certificate.

I suggest you consider and compare at least 2, preferably 3. And before you choose one, think about what you need, and which criteria are most important for you. Don’t just go with the one with the logo you remember, or the most well-known name. How do you find them? Like any other supplier: phone book, ask other people, ask consultants, search the web.
Pre-qualifying
Before you put anyone on your list to consider, you need a yes to these 2 questions:
a. Are you accredited by a signatory of the IAF?
b. Are you qualified to audit in our field?

a. Accreditation
Make sure they are accredited by a signatory (member) of the IAF (International Accreditation Forum). That ensures they meet the required standards, follow protocols, & are subjected to controls by the Accreditation Body, including regular audits to verify they are meeting requirements.
In Australia, the accrediting body is JAS-ANZ, in the US it's ANAB, in the UK it's UKAS in the UK, and so on. (If you want to know more about why it’s a good idea, ask. For now, just take my word for it and don’t consider anyone who isn’t!)

b. Qualified
To ensure your certifier is competent to evaluate your company, certifiers are accredited to specific scopes. There are 39 defined by the International Accreditation Forum. Again, don’t consider anyone who isn’t!

Once qualified, you can ask more specific questions, depending on your particular needs. Here are 9 suggestions:

1. Approach
What’s their approach and philosophy to the area you want certification for?
I believe this is the most important factor to assess. If it's ISO 9001, you want and need an organization whose approach and philosophy to quality is compatible with yours. For example, are they focused on risk and importance, or on conformance and process? What does their organization say about itself? What are they like to deal with: in person, on the phone, via their website. Do they publish anything official? How long have they been accredited? You want someone who’s been around for a while, and is likely to remain.

2. Price
Ask for an all-inclusive quote for the full 3-year cycle of your registration, detailing precisely what is included. Before you get this, most certifiers (and all good ones) will need specific information from you.

Then you can compare pricing, and consider all costs. In my experience, you get what you pay for. The cheapest possible price isn’t necessarily the best.

Do note that different companies charge differently, so make sure you evaluate them against the same criteria. Don’t assume they all do exactly the same thing, the same way. Check particularly:

• Does the quote cover everything required for the 3-year period?
• Do they bill for travel time? Travel expenses (if any) will be billed, but check travel time isn’t also billable.
• Is there any extra not included, that you would be charged for? If it’s mandatory, it should be included in the cost. An example of non-mandatory would be a ‘desk audit’ of your documentation before the audit: if you have it, they charge separately. If you don’t, no charge.
• Are there any extra costs involved in using their certification mark / symbol on your company material? Any restrictions or particular terms of use? If so, what are they? If your MD intends to use the logo post-certification in a way they won’t permit, better to know this now.

3. Schedule

How flexible is it? Can they fit in with your expected date? If time is very short, put this high on your list.

4. Their People
What kinds of auditors do they have? How do they train them? Ensure they remain up to date with changes and developments? Do they have an auditor in your area? Travel expenses add significantly to cost. With a local auditor, it isn’t an issue, and may also help with scheduling.

Can you meet your Lead Auditor beforehand? (If not, why not?) The person assigned as your primary (lead) auditor is very important – you need to feel comfortable with them, so you should at least be able to talk by phone, even if not in person. If you don’t hit it off to begin with, it rarely improves.

5. Differences
What happens if you have a difference of opinion with their auditor, or aren't happy? (It happens) Is there anything beyond the strictly formal appeals process? For example, a technical audit manager, to ensure differences are resolved constructively and effectively?

6. Major nonconformance
You hope not to get one of these (and won't if you use Mapwright). But if you do, how do they handle these? Most certifiers require a special visit takes place (which you are charged extra for) to verify your corrective action.

7. Support
Do they offer technical support that you can access if needed? (If you’re using a good consultant, this is unlikely to matter to you.) Remember the certifier cannot consult to you, or advise you that ‘if you do x, then you’ll definitely pass’. This would be a breach of ethics and conflict of interest.

But they can provide some limited guidance, eg, indicate if you’re on the right track or not. And if you’re going it entirely alone, then you may want all the help you can. When a question comes up about how to interpret a particular requirement, for example, you’ll need some informed guidance.

8. Other

• In their certification contract, do they have any additional requirements for the management system beyond those in the Standard (eg, ISO 9001:2000)? If so, what (because when you sign their contract, you agree with whatever is in it, so check first).
• Can you choose only one or two accreditation marks on the certificate? Some have multiple accreditations and bill you for each accreditation mark, whereas mostly you only need those for the country or countries you do business in.
• Has their accreditation ever been suspended or revoked? If so, why and what occurred?
• How long (on average) would you expect to wait for their audit report to be delivered?

9. Other People’s Experience
Talk with other certified organizations, perhaps key customers, other companies in an allied field. Contacting customers means you can publicise your plan for certification. They may have a strong preference for a particular certifier, and if everyone in your particular field is certified with Bloggs, perhaps you should too.

These questions have all focussed on the certifier as a company. But for most of the time, you’ll be dealing just with one main person: ‘your’ auditor. It’s critical you are comfortable with them. I’ll write more about that in another article.

May you flourish & continue improving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'. www.mapwright.com.au
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of struggling with it?
You can get ISO 9001 fast, without spending a fortune. Click here>

** Ezine editors / Site owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above. If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks. © Mapwright Pty Ltd

Is it worth it for a one-person business?

Here's a question from the mailbag which applies to any 1-person or very small business.

Q: I am a Civil Engineering consultant and provide a range of services to mainly local government in traffic engineering,road, drainage design etc. I operate as a sole practitioner, but I have strategic links to other sole practitioners who assist me to complete projects.

If I have a certified ISO 9001 quality system in place I can be registered with the State authority to provide services to them, as well as being listed on they web site as a prequalified consultant.

My question is: can a sole practitioner who uses other practitioners (who aren't certified) have a quality system that is acceptable?

A: Yes.
In a word (& presuming that 'acceptable' means 'acceptable for certification to ISO 9001').

The Standard specifically states (clause 1.2) that it is intended to be 'applicable to all organizations, regardless of type, size and product' (my italics). That said, there's a few challenges in designing a system where you're a sole practitioner, but none are insurmountable.

Re. the other practitioners, they'd be considered as suppliers to you. They don't have to be certified (presumably they subcontract to you), but you'd definitely have to show how your system selects, monitors & manages them to ensure that your client gets the standard of work they expect and you agreed to supply.

But that, like so much of ISO 9001 is just sheer good business sense in any case.

The biggest issue is that there's an obvious cost involved, which can be a burden for a sole practitioner: the cost of certification itself, plus any other costs eg,consulting/buying a kit, work associated with developing your system.

So this is something you clearly have to weigh up to see if it's worth it to you and to your particular business. And only you can answer that question. It is not as simple as 'everyone should' at all.

For example, if it gets you no more work, and no more customers, I'd definitely query whether it's worth the cost & time. But if having it does get you work that you otherwise couldn't get, or keeps important business, then that would tip the scales strongly.

One of my clients was quite literally a one-man band - his main business was import & export, and he moved things around the world from his office, using email, phone & fax. He achieved certification. Was it worth it to him?

In this case, yes, because his largest customer (~80% of his business) had him over a barrel: no ISO 9001, no business from them any more.

If you do decide to go ahead, as always: keep it simple, workable & practical.

Good question!


Here's a cost-effective way to get ISO 9001 yourself, without struggle. Click here for details.

How much documentation is needed

Here's a question from a reader that often comes up.

Q: 'I am implementing ISO 9001 in a small-medium size company.
Staff have the perception that detailed instructions are required for every function in the company (some one from the street should be able to come in and do the job!!!).
I am trying to convince them that only critical functions which affect the quality of our product should have detailed instructions (eg assembly work, critical operations). How and what arguments can I use in order convince staff (and even the MD)? I do not want to create a mountain of documents no one reads.' D.V.

And here's my answer:

Good question, & mostly you’re right. I've recently reviewed 2 complicated, over-documented systems that cost their owners lots of money, and which are so unwieldy & document heavy they're unworkable.

The idea that 'anyone from the street should be able to pick up the quality manual/procedures & do the job' is a completely outmoded idea – thank heavens. It might possibly be true in, say a McDonalds-type environment, but only in something like that -- & even then selection, induction & training is part of the quality system.

Another reason: it didn't work. Worst of all, it resulted in massively, massively detailed instructions which no one could follow or had the time to read, let alone maintain as the business changes!

The ultimate aim of ISO 9001 is customer satisfaction (ie, going beyond just quality of product).

The Standard does say that you need to identify your critical processes, their sequence & how they inter-relate (4.1). It does not say that you have to document them all. It does say also that 'controlled conditions' (7.5.1) are required for production (or service delivery).

But written instructions are not the only means of control: you can also use, for example, computer systems, checklists, bills of materials, specifications, engineering drawings, equipment, suitable tools, monitoring, measuring, activities such as review or inspection, etc.

Here are some guidelines from The System – the Complete Guide to Getting ISO 9001.

'Do we need documentation? Questions to ask:

• If we don’t document this, would that affect our service or product quality? If it would, what are the risks and how serious are they?
  Don’t document something that is very, very unlikely but just might possibly happen if the moon was in the seventh house and the planets lined up in this particular way and a black cat also happened to be walking under the ladder at the exact same instant, etc. Keep it sensible.
• Is this area reasonably well under control? Or are there frequent problems such as mistakes, customer complaints, rework, loss of money or time, angst, etc?
• What happens if the person who usually does this is away or absent? Is there much turnover in this job? How does someone new or a stand-in know what to do and how? And how likely is that to occur, or how often?
• How many people do this? If it is several or many, how do we get them to do it with consistency?
  If it is only one, what would happen if they left suddenly? Were ill? (Don’t ignore this, or say ‘well, that would never happen, because he/she is the owner’s wife’. Remember, it’s a system. There is no clause in ISO 9001 that says it’s all OK if it’s the owner’s wife!)
• Are there critical points where things must be right or done consistently? How do we ensure that if not documented?

For example, should you document your sales or marketing process?
A consulting company or a software development firm usually does, because each job is different, and there needs to be a clearly written agreement in place about what they will do for a particular customer. A company selling retail garden plants probably doesn’t, provided it trains its staff in how to use the cash register.

Do you need a documented recruiting process? A recruitment firm definitely would. A security company that places security guards in shopping centres and hospitality venues would; they have a relatively high turnover of people, and must get suitably qualified and experienced people. So would a firm providing, say corporate fitness programs, or managing gymnasiums. A small, relatively stable IT or consulting firm where the MD does all the recruiting wouldn’t.'

What you probably have is people who've either had some experience in an old-style system (ie, not the current, 2000 version of the Standard) and/or who've been infected by people who have. And unfortunately, mostly those experiences of 'quality' were negative.

How to convince? A tricky one. Here's a few suggestions.

1. Remind them that ISO 9001 is the requirements for a 'quality management system'. Yes, that system includes documentation, but that isn't the be-all and end-all. The system includes all those other elements, such as people being competent, management, etc. What on earth would be the point, say, in hiring a qualified & experienced engineer... and then telling them, line by laborious line, how to do an engineering drawing? Or providing a detailed, step by step instruction to tell a truck driver to collect waste and take it to the rubbish tip when the truck is full. Neither of them need it, but I've seen examples of both!

2. Know exactly what it says in the Standard. Wherever in the Standard it says 'a documented procedure shall be established...' it means you *must* have one. (And it only says that in 6 clauses).

3. Show them examples. There are 2 examples of 'skinny documentation in my DIY Pack because few things convince like seeing real examples.

4. Select a good certifier (auditor) eg, see Links. Talk with someone from there who knows - an auditor/audit manager etc & ask them to confirm your general approach & understanding, & what I say.

5. Give them a copy of my report on the 10 most common mistakes. Send them to my website for more information - eg, see what people say about the 'minimal documentation' approach. Tell them all my clients (large, medium & small) got their certificate first time - and not one had massive reams of documentation!

6. Keep it practical and manageable. Have only 'just enough'. Less is usually more - you can add more if required.

Good luck & have a great week.
Jane Bennett

Get ISO 9001 yourself, without struggle. Click here for details.

Why quality includes "Indian heritage"

Have you been following the hoo-ha in Montana, USA? There's been an ongoing battle there for a while.

You see, the state's constitution requires the legislature to provide a system of free quality public education. Some differing views about whether the current system was achieving that or not led various parties into court.

Problem: the court found there was no definition of what 'quality' public education is. So if you don't actually know what it's supposed to be, how can you decide whether it's meeting that standard or not?

The court instructed the legislature to first define “what is a quality system of education”.

Before you read on, can I suggest you spend a minute or two thinking about how you would define that?

OK, here's what Montana's 2005 Legislature came up with.
They defined a basic quality system as one that:
* meets state accreditation requirements
* provides special education, qualified teachers, buildings, distance learning, busing and testing
* preserves local control; and
* teaches all students about the state's Indian heritage.

Now, is that the same definition that you came up with? Did you include Indian heritage in yours? No?

Quality is one of those words that everyone thinks they know the meaning of, but often don't.

Do you begin to see why the ISO 9001 Standard requires you to have a quality policy and objectives - in other words, to say what YOU believe quality is, and what you want from your quality management system?

Just as I was finishing this, another example dropped into my inbox (don't you love Google's watch facility)?

"The Interior Department has removed systems integrator BearingPoint Inc... from the Financial and Business Modernization System project to install a new enterprise resource planning system, the department said.

The department has severed its business relationship with BearingPoint for implementation of the Financial and Business Management System,” Interior spokeswoman Joan Moody said today.

She added, “We are committed to the success of the FBMS project, so we are taking the necessary management action to ensure that we can deliver a quality system.” (bolding mine)

Hmmmm. With a project rumoured to have a budget of $120m... I would certainly hope that they have defined what a 'quality system' is. Wouldn't you?

Make your meetings worthwhile

How many meetings have you attended recently? And how many actually achieved their purpose?

Do your meetings not get anywhere? Do people not pay attention - stare into their coffee cups or doodle? I watched someone responding to email on herlaptop the entire time at one recent meeting. But perhaps one reason for that was the meeting: ‘ho hum’ and directionless. Even wasteful.

Here are 9 tips for productive, useful meetings.

1. Make sure you really NEED a meeting.
Never use them for routine announcements or to substitute for action. You won’t achieve anything if people just listen.

Move routine stuff, ‘just so everyone knows’ stuff, status reports, etc. elsewhere, eg, email before the meeting, noticeboard, etc. Keep meetings for issues that really do require discussion, and for delicate or complex announcements.

2. For every meeting, have a written agenda. And don’t have meetings without one.
For example, if you think the ISO Standard says you must have a ‘management review meeting’ then you are on the wrong track.

An ‘agenda’ is just the content for the meeting: a list of the topics planned for discussion, in the order you expect to deal with them. A solid, agreed-uponagenda gives people time to prepare, and helps keep the meeting on track.

3. Allocate time for each agenda item.
If you don't, how will you know if you're running late?

4. Have a chairperson and a recorder. At the meeting, make sure these roles are allocated and agreed. The chair is the person facilitating the meeting, the recorder (or minute-taker) records actions and decisions. Don't try and combine the 2 roles with one person, it rarely works.

5. Before you begin the meeting itself, make the meeting purpose clear.
Review & agree on the agenda. Reviewing the agenda helps achieve shared understanding about what the meeting expects to achieve.

6. Stay with the agreed agenda.
The Chair’s job is to keep the meeting moving forward, and on track. That may include agreeing to ‘park’ an issue or refer it to someone else.

7. Make sure the key decisions & actions are written down: who will do what, and by when.
If the Recorder hasn’t captured any action or decision coming out of a discussion when everyone wants to move on, people almost certainly aren’t clear what was decided – or they won’t be later.

I can’t over-emphasise how important this is. It’s so important, I’ve included an easy template for meeting actions in the DIY ISO 9001 Pack.

8. Be wary of taking silence to mean agreement.
Some people are slower or less inclined to speak up. The person chairing should be explicit, and if necessary,seek specific input from people who have not spoken: ‘Is there agreement on thispoint? Fred, are you OK with it? John? Sue?’ etc. Much better to have disagreement IN the meeting and discuss a thorny topic, than have resistance emerge later.

9. Circulate the actions list (minutes) as soon as possible after the meeting, within 3 days at most, so everyone is clear about what was agreed, and what is to happen.

Jane Bennett
Stop struggling with ISO 9001
© Mapwright Pty Ltd
www.mapwright.com.au

You can get ISO 9001 yourself, without struggle, and without spending a fortune.

** Attention Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site, so long as you leaveall links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.
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5 Important Questions for Business Owners

Winter solstice, June 21 - another good time to take stock of things. Here are 5 key questions to help you do that.

Q1. How do you feel about your business?

Are you still passionate about it and committed to it?

If you aren’t, then both you and the business are probably in some kind of ‘holding pattern’ and almost certainly not going anywhere. Think of it as like being in an airplane waiting to take off. And it will be obvious to your customers, your suppliers and your staff, even if it isn’t to you.

If you answered no to this question, I strongly suggest you do some hard thinking, and consider your options. If you can’t fall in love with your business again, it’s probably time to let someone else run it.

And deciding not to choose, ie, putting aside the decision, or telling yourself you’ll think about it ‘later’ is also a choice. You see, if you do nothing, you’ll continue getting what you’ve got now. So change may come whether you want it or not. Why not make it happen instead?

Q2. Have you got a written plan for at least the next year? (And preferably one for the next 3.)

While everyone knows they ‘should’ plan, very few of us really do. That goes for large companies as well as small ones. In fact, you might be shocked at how many large companies do planning very poorly, if at all.

But if you don’t plan because you’re too busy reacting to problems, coping with issues that come up and fire-fighting, what you are really doing is putting all those other things at very the top of your priority list. All the time. Because if YOU don’t know where you want to go, how on earth do you expect to get there?

Q3. Have you given your team what they need to paddle the canoe with you?

No one likes working in a business that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing or where it’s going.

People really enjoy working when they have a good leader, plus they’ll work harder and often surprisingly long hours. But they need someone who makes the plan clear ("troops, this is where we’re going"). And someone who ‘walks the talk’ not just says it, and who is determined and decisive when necessary.

Do all your people know where you want the business to go, and how? And if not, what do you need to do in order to make that happen?

Q4. Do you pay yourself first or last?

A fundamental rule for wealth creation is to pay yourself first, not last. Yet most small and medium businesses pay everyone else before they pay themselves. This may help keep the economy going around, but it does nothing to compensate you for the time and effort involved in starting and running a business. Make it a rule to pay yourself first. Apart from any other considerations, it’ll force you to focus on business cashflow and the bottom line.

Q5. Have you set up systems to run your business?

To run well, every business needs systems. Far too many don’t really have systems, and certainly not written ones. Which means they won't be ISO 9001 of course. Instead of systems, they have experienced people, most often the owner(s) and/or people who’ve been there a long time).

But not having systems leaves you vulnerable, and gives rise to poor consequences: the quality of service or goods may be unreliable if key people are absent, ill or leave. The owner can rarely afford to get away for holidays, increasing their stress levels.

Contrast that with a franchise like McDonalds. That business can be operated by a competent 20 year old, managing 16 year olds. And most often is.

What makes the difference? Like all franchises, McDonalds has a system. And it’s written down. People follow the system; the system underpins the business.
Any small or medium sized business should aim to systematise. ISO 9001 is a good starting point, even if you don't use all of its requirements.

Some of the many benefits of systematizing: the owner can share the load with other employees, profitability generally improves, and purchasers will pay more for a business with a written down system than one without, for very good reason.

There’s method in ISO 9001 demanding that the quality system be documented!
-------------------------
© Mapwright Pty Ltd
Jane Bennett,
Director, Mapwright.
Stop struggling with ISO 9001
http://www.mapwright.com.au/
---------------------------
** Attention Ezine editors / Site owners **
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site, so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.
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© Mapwright Pty Ltd
(+613) 9416 7344

There's gold in complaints, if you look for it

An angry client, and a complaint. We all hope in business that we won’t get them - customer complaints, that is. In one sense, they’re failures - we’ve failed to satisfy a customer.

But there can also be an opportunity. One reason why ISO 9001 requires ‘effective arrangements’ for communicating with customers, and customer complaints. Here’s how one company pulled success out of the jaws of failure - and did it brilliantly.

I’d been asked to take part in a business event for a client. Someone from another company (let’s call them Greens) came to deliver a particular service.

I thought the work of Greens’ rep ranged from barely adequate todownright poor. He seemed more interested in being the expert, rather than delivering service, telling the client what to do, but without bothering to ask questions first!

A few days later, the same thing happened. Different client, different rep ... but even worse. This rep. was actively rude, with a lack of customer service I found appalling.

The problem: in each case, the client needed the service.
What to do? I rang a contact at Greens, and outlined my concern.

And that’s where it got interesting.

Her response was immediate: Greens didn’t condone such behaviour.She gave me details of their manager, and promised to contact the general manager.

When I returned to the office, a manager was on the phone. He didn’t justify, argue or blame, but focussed on finding out the facts. He immediately offered to replace the rep. And would I make the complaint official?

Hmm. There were some potentially tricky issues about that, for me and for the clients. I had to consider the issues and the possible ramifications. But I also felt strongly about it as unacceptable.

With client permission, I wrote a letter. Set out our expectations,then explained what the clients had received. What we were unhappy with and why, the lack of value, or service, with specific examples.

And yes, I had it reviewed before I sent it.

Now, I’ve needed to deal with Greens, off and on, for some years, and been under-impressed a number of times. At this point, I was disappointed with the company in general, and with these events in particular.

But as I experienced their response, I was both surprised and delighted. Way above 'just average', they demonstrated an almost textbook example of how to respond.

The managers initiated discussions about action to rectify each situation. And, would I be willing to come and discuss further? Lunch? Then, over lunch with executive management, the business side of things was handled skilfully and professionally, with pre-planning evident.
They used it as an opportunity not just to address the two specific complaints, but went further and gathered more information. Were there other areas where they fell short? Yes? Could I give examples or details?

These were managers genuinely concerned with improvement, not just pacifying or pretending, but actively seeking opportunities for feedback and improvement. Even in difficult situations.

‘They just soft-soaped you,’ you might say. Not so – one has to look at what is done, not just said. The response throughout was all one could wish for: prompt, professional and positive.

The resolutions took time to negotiate, but both clients & I are satisfied. These include replacement of person for one client, no charges, and Greens accepting they have lost the other client permanently. (That client was already deeply dissatisfied, and that event was the last straw.)

But Greens have also increased lines of communication, extended their network, gained useful feedback, and provided themselves with an avenue of further feedback. I've already been in a position to do them a favour - and did.

And the next time I was asked for my opinion of Greens, my response was very different from what it had been. And to what it would have been if they had just brushed off my complaint.

Have a good week in business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'. www.mapwright.com.au
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it?

The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune.
Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html

** Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above. If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.
© Mapwright Pty Ltd

Are you including website records as company records?

A recent article in an Australian newspaper warned companies of the need to store website records.

Former federal Attorney General Pat Barrett said 'if websites are used for business and for interacting with the public, the content and transactions constitute company records. Therefore, these must be captured, preserved, and incorporated into official paper-based or electronic records systems.'

It's a timely reminder, whether you're in Australia or not - if other countries don't have similar requirements now, they're bound to shortly. It's good business sense.

And it's not important only if you use your website to sell directly. For example, do you describe any of your products/services etc. on your website? Make representations about their quality, performance, etc? If you're in services, do you specify any conditions under which you work? If you answer yes to any of these, that is part of your 'interacting with the public'.

The relevant clauses in ISO 9001 would include: 4.2.3 (Control of documents) and 4.2.4 (Control of records) as well as 5.1 a) and any relevant parts of 7.2 (Customer-related processes)
Checking the content and status of your website records would be a good thing to add to your next management review meeting.

If you are already certified, it should be covered under your records management procedure, and you should be verifying that it is being done via, for example, internal audit. If your website is extensive, you may wish to consider a Content Management System (let me know if you need some recommendations).

Ref: The Australian IT Today, p31, 12 April 2005

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it? The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune.
Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html

** Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above. If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.
© Mapwright Pty Ltd

How to kill your business

The Standard calls for mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers, as well as monitoring 'customer perception of satisfaction'. See if you think this somewhat unusual approach to customer relations I experienced from a supplier recently would meet those requirements.

The supplier is a printer & copier. I'd tested them already on some individual components for the DIY ISO 9001 Pack and been reasonably satisfied with the results. There were a few minor hiccups, but the owner - let's call him Lesley - had made changes and was confident their system was now sound and working well. I was about ready to use them regularly for the bulk production.

As stock was low, I emailed him my requirements, timing, quantities. No problem. Oh, but could I let him have the files again? 'They're on our system somewhere, but just in case'. As there are more than 40 files involved in various folders, it wasn't a small task. But I made the time to do it, and sent them along with my usual detailed instructions for what files went where, and for the printing, collating and binding.

In the agreed 5 days I got a call that they were done. In the meantime, I'd run right out of stock, and had a new order that I promised to ship the next day. I congratulated myself on pre-organising the next print run.

The printer had already packed all the materials into cardboard boxes. Although he didn't seem to think I needed to, I did a quick QA check, riffling through the contents of the boxes.

'I can't see anything that looks like the bound sample manuals, Lesley.'
Lesley assured me they'd be there. 'The guys know what they're doing.'

But the sample manuals are essential parts of the Pack: I didn't want to wait until I got back to the office to find I was missing something.

Lesley sighed. 'You want me to empty the boxes for you to check?'

I did. And yes, the printed pages were there. But loose, not bound.

Lesley muttered under his breath, and went away. Binding them, he reported back, would take 'around 20 minutes'. Could I come back later? I had barely enough time left to pick up the materials and get one packed and shipped to the client in Kuala Lumpur.

He sighed. I really couldn't wait? Well, tomorrow then?

But I'd promised my customer. Could they not at least bind one set now for me to take, then deliver the rest later? He agreed with visible reluctance. I waited, then grabbed the set and raced back to the office. Lunch was out of the question before my all-afternoon meeting, but I'd meet the shipping commitment.

Which was when I discovered one of the two sample manuals was missing its colour page.

I counted to five and picked up the phone. 'No, that can't be,' Lesley said. 'The guys are sure they did them OK, and there's no spare colour page anywhere. So how could that be?'
Me: 'I have no idea. But I have the manual right here, I know what the colour page looks like, as well as where it should be. It isn't there.'
Lesley: 'Damn.'
Me: 'Indeed'.
Lesley: 'Well, can't you just send it as it is?'

I counted to five again. 'No. It doesn't meet our standards, or the specifications. And I won't do that to my customer.' A pause. Another sigh. This time I let the silence lengthen.
At last: 'When do you have to go?'
'In 30 minutes.'
Lesley: I suppose I could bring another one over. If you're really sure yours is no good.'

I was getting tired of counting. 'Thank you, Lesley, yes.' And at this point I added, 'But I have to say I'm really disappointed at this, particularly given that I provided very detailed, written instructions of the requirements.'

'You're disappointed!' he burst out in an aggrieved tone. 'How do you think I feel?'

And it was at that precise moment, dear reader, I decided I needed a new supplier.

Yes, to his credit, he did bring the other sample manuals around. As well as the missing loose colour page, which had somehow mysteriously re-appeared. 'It was the only one wrong. All the rest were fine.' Lesley had found what the problem was. 'They handed over the job in the middle. They know they're not supposed to do that, and I've told them again'.

But what it said to me was: this business doesn't have an effective method, nor a systematic approach to quality problems. Most likely because of the owner: perhaps too busy blaming other people to really analyse what went wrong. Perhaps because of a lack of customer focus: for each problem, I'd had to suggest my own solutions, instead of being offered them by the supplier.

But definitely because there is no systematic approach.

Yes, things do go wrong at times, even in the best of businesses and organisations. No system, no process and no person is perfect. But that's another very good reason why nonconformance, corrective and preventive action are included in a quality management system.

And OK, I did manage to get the product shipped to Kuala Lumpur. And yes, I currently have stocks of the DIY Pack. Including one sample manual that I can't ship, because it's missing an essential page.

I'm guessing he expects me to take it back to him if I want it done.

I'm also guessing he expects me to pay the invoice he thrust into my hand at the same time as he delivered the rest.

I haven't done either of those things yet. Mutually rewarding relationships with suppliers is one of the underlying principles of ISO 9001, and I'm looking for a new supplier. They'll need to understand how important it is to keep your existing customers happy. And have a better system for responding to problems (ISO 9001's clause 8.3 and 8.5.2). And sound methods of 'monitoring customer perception of satisfaction' (see 8.2.1 and 8.4).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach
and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Sick and tired of struggling with it? The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune.
Click Here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Ezine editors / Site owners **
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety
in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave
all links in place, do not modify the content and
include my resource box as listed above.

If you do use the material please send us a note
so we can take a look. Thanks.

© Mapwright Pty Ltd

<------- #End Article ---------->

Regards
Jane Bennett
Get a simple, practical quality system working for you
www.mapwright.com.au

Is your customer satisfied?

"Mutually rewarding relationships with suppliers" is one of the underlying principles of ISO 9001. See if you think this unusual approach to customer relations qualifies.

This particular supplier is a printer & copier; I'd tested them already on a few individual components for the DIY ISO 9001 Pack and been reasonably satisfied with the results. A few minor hiccups, but the owner - I'll call him Lesley - said he had reorganised, & was confident their system was working well. I was about ready to use them regularly for the bulk copying and printing.

I emailed requirements, timing, quantities. No problem, but could I let him have the files again? 'They're on the system somewhere, but just in case'.
Hmm. I made the time to do some minor updates & emailed the files, naturally including including the detailed instructions for printing, collating and binding.

In the agreed 5 days they were done. On collection, I did my usual quick QA check.
‘I can't see anything looking like the bound sample manuals, Lindsey.’ Lindsay was sure they'd be in the boxes. 'The guys know what they’re doing.' But I wanted to be sure.

Lindsay sighed. 'Did you want me to empty the boxes out for you to check?’ He dumped them out on the counter. Yes, the printed pages were there. But unbound.

Lindsay muttered under his breath, and went out the back. Binding them, he reported back shortly, wouldn't take long. Could I come back 'in 20'?

But I had an all-afternoon client meeting, and barely enough time left that morning to pick up materials and ship one to Malaysia.

I couldn’t wait then? Or what about tomorrow? No, I’d promised the customer. He sighed.

I suggested they could perhaps bind one set now for me to take, then deliver the rest later, waited while they did this, then grabbed the set and raced back to the office. Lunch was now out of the question, but at least the shipping commitment would be met.

That was before I found one of the sample manuals was missing a colour page. I picked up the phone.

‘It can’t be,' Lindsay said. 'The guys are sure they did them OK, and there’s no spare colour page anywhere, so how could that be?’
Me: ‘I have no idea. But I have the manual right here, I know what the colour page looks like, and where it should be. I think I would see it if it was there.'

Lindsay: 'Damn.'

Me: 'Indeed'.

Lindsay: 'Well, couldn't you just send it as it is?'

Me: (after counting to 3). 'No, I couldn't. It isn't what I've promised or what I expect to deliver, and I won't do that to my customer.'

A pause. Another sigh.

I let the silence lengthen.

At last: ‘When do you have to get it out?'

'In the next 30 minutes.'

'Well,' he said unenthusiastically, 'I suppose I COULD manage to bring another one over. If you’re really sure the one you have is no good.’

I counted again. (In a situation like this, I've learned it's better to do that before I speak.) Thank you, Lindsay, yes.' And I quietly added that I was disappointed at the way things had happened, particularly given that I had provided very clear written instructions of the requirements.

‘YOU’RE disappointed!' Lindsay burst out. 'How do you think *I* feel?’

It was at that precise moment, dear reader, I decided to find a new supplier.

Yes, to his credit, he did bring the other sample manuals around. As well as the missing loose colour page, which had mysteriously re-appeared. 'It was the only one wrong. All the rest were fine.'

He'd found the problem, he said. ‘They handed over the job in the middle. They KNOW they’re not supposed to do that, and I’ve told them that again’.

But what it signified to me was: this business doesn’t have an effective method, or a systematic approach, to respond to quality problems. Perhaps because of the owner: he seems too busy blaming other people to analyse what went wrong. Perhaps because of a lack of customer focus: I had to find my own solutions to each problem, and persuade them to do it, rather than being offered them.

But definitely because there is no systems approach.

Yes, things go wrong in any business or organisation at times: no system, no process and no person is perfect. But that's another very good reason why nonconformance, corrective and preventive action are part of a good quality management system.

And OK, I did manage to get the product shipped to Malaysia on time. And yes, I currently have adequate stocks of the DIY Pack. Including one sample manual that I won't and can’t ship to a customer as is, because it’s missing an essential page.

I’m guessing he expects me to take it back to him if I want it done. I’m also guessing he expects me to pay the invoice he thrust into my hand at the same time as he delivered the rest.

I haven’t done either of those things yet.

I’m looking for a new supplier.
They'll need to understand how important it is to keep your existing customers happy. And have a better system for responding to problems (ISO 9001's clause 8.3 and 8.5.2). And some way of 'monitoring customer perception of satisfaction' (see 8.2.1 and 8.4). Listening to your customers is a great place to begin!

It still astonishes me when people think that 'quality' is something really hard. At its simplest, it just means making sure that your customer gets what was agreed , to the standard and the specifications and the timing agreed between you.

The fact that so many businesses seem to struggle with this never ceases to amaze me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it? The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune. Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html


** Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.
If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.

© Mapwright Pty Ltd

How do we get ISO 9001?

Prospective client to me: 'What do we have to do to get ISO 9001?'
Me to prospective client: 'Make sure your business management system meets all (not just some) of the requirements in ISO 9001 - nothing more, but nothing less'.

So, what are these 'requirements'?

Most of the requirements are just sheer good business sense. For example, there are requirements that you must know what your customers want, and deliver it to them. You must make sure your people are competent and that they have the right skills, training and experience.

You need processes suitable for producing and delivering your products or services. There are also requirements for monitoring whether customers are satisfied, following up problems and fixing them, and so on.

Can you see anything in what I've just written that a well managed business wouldn't need?

The requirements are organised into 4 broad groups:

1. Management responsibility - requirements for planning, having measurable objectives, review and general requirements, including for system documentation
2. Resource management - requirements for how you organise your people, premises, etc
3. Product realisation - dreadful term! Requirements for how you 'make real' your products (or services) - ie, how you do what you do, whether that is making widgets or providing services
4. Checking - requirements for checking how you are performing, assessing performance, identifying and fixing various problems, and improving your system.

It's also important to understand that an 'ISO 9001 system' is a documented one - which means you must have certain things written down. It does NOT mean you need reams and reams of manuals and incomprehensible jargon. Your system also must be auditable - ie, capable of being audited. And these two things are linked: you see, if you don't have anything written down, no one can audit you, because they can't read what's supposed to happen.

A related question: why do ISO 9001? I consider this is a very important question, in fact probably the most important question you should answer before you go down the 'ISO road'. You must have at least one good reason for doing it. And 'my biggest client is insisting' is not the best answer. Yes, that may be true, but you need to find at least one internal driver as well.

Some of the most common reasons are:

• Greater client assurance - your clients may insist, or you decide it would enhance your client reputation or business standing, or it may be a contract condition
• To match your internal system against a widely known and internationally accepted model. It doesn't matter whether a company is in Australia, China, the USA, Britain or Europe.. if it has ISO 9001, you know it meets the rigorous requirements of the Standard
• To gain benefits such as improved processes, greater control & discipline, reduced operational costs with fewer errors or increased sales
• To provide a platform for further growth.

If your current answer is 'because we want the certificate on the wall', please stop now. You will have enormous trouble with the project until you find at least one better reason than that.

What's ISO 9001 anyway?

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is an international Standard. It's one of the most widely known and internationally accepted models for a quality system, and the basis of many highly effective quality systems.

The Standard can be applied to any size of company or organisation, any industry and any country, for both services and products.

It consists of a set of 'requirements'. They require (ie, specify) what you must do, but not how. For example, one set of requirements applies to people: it says that people who perform work that affects the quality of your products (or services) must be competent, which you'd agree is a good idea. It doesn't say what qualifications, skills, experience or training they must have - you decide that in your company.

Another requirement is for planning: it requires you to plan how you intend to achieve quality, but it does not say specifically how you must plan, nor specify a format for your planning. And contrary to very widespread belief to the contrary, it does NOT say anywhere that you must have or produce a document called a 'quality plan'!

The Standard is based on these 8 principles, which underpin all the requirements:

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of people
• A process approach
• A systems approach to management
• Continual improvement
• A factual approach to decision making
• Mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

It's worth understanding that the Standard was written by a committee, and that it has the inherent weaknesses of multiple authorship. It can be difficult to understand in places - particularly because some of the language is formally expressed, and also because certain terms may be used that you haven't come across before, or often, such as 'nonconformance' and 'corrective action'.

Because it states generic requirements, and is intended to apply to all kinds of businesses, some interpretation and experience is required to apply it to your particular business. But it's sets a standard, it has international acceptance, and thus it's been widely adopted across so many countries.