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Information
Sheets > The
System Standard
ISO
9000 sets out, in a very simple way, how you can establish, document
and maintain an effective quality management system which will demonstrate
to your customers that you are committed to quality and are able
to supply their quality needs. The philosophy is "prevention not
detection". It is an internationally accepted (by the 55 major countries)
Standard. Adopting ISO 9000 does produce real cost savings in time.
Management commitment is however required and the system must be
tailored to accommodate the way the individual organisation operates.
There is no "off the shelf" solution. To impose another organisation's
system is a recipe for disaster. The key is to build on existing
good practices - not to re-invent the wheel.
Profitability/effectiveness
is the aim of every organisation. Errors multiply. Errors in one
part of a system create problems elsewhere, leading to more errors.
Staff then spend time correcting errors, looking for things, checking
why things are late, rectifying, redoing, apologising etc. One-third
of all effort/cost expended by organizations is wasted by this snowball
effect. The benefits of doing things properly first time, every
time, are enormous - greater efficiencies, lower costs, improved
quality, better reputation and greater market share.
ISO 9000
IS A SYSTEM STANDARD NOT A PRODUCT STANDARD
A
frequent mistake is to confuse quality with grade. A quality product
or services does not have to be costly. 'Quality' simply means that
you meet the expectations of your customers. In other words giving
the customer what he expects - when he expects it. Indeed, properly
understanding your customer's expectations can sometimes lead to
improved quality (and profits) by reducing grade.
HOW WE CAN HELP
We
can help you and your staff to focus quickly on those few elements
of your business systems that may need to be improved to meet the
requirements of ISO 9000.
STEP ONE:
WE ASSESS YOUR EXISTING PRACTICES
Our
first task is to review your existing practices to establish where
they already meet the requirements of ISO 9000. Most companies are
surprised to learn that they are much closer to the requirements
of the Standard than they think.
STEP TWO:
WE DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN
The
action plan outlines the steps necessary to bring the quality system
up to standard and identifies the people who will need to be involved.
STEP THREE:
DOCUMENTATION
Experience shows
that this will be the area requiring most attention. However, we
will help you to keep documentation to the essential minimum, otherwise
people won't use it. The assessor from the registration body will
know this and if the system is too complicated it will fail in operation
and assessment.
STEP FOUR:
IMPLEMENTATION
As
each part of the system is developed it must be introduced into
operation. In this way you will be sure that you have not gone 'over
the top' prior to formal assessment.
STEP FIVE:
DUMMY ASSESSMENT
Having an independent
assessor for the final review phase (just prior to formal assessment)
can be useful so that you and your staff know what to expect.
ALLERY SCOTTS
We are one of
the major UK providers of QA/TQM consultancy. We have six offices
and 30 Dti "listed" consultants. We have Registered Lead Assessors
on our staff who conduct formal assessments for BSI & others on
a part time basis. We have advised over 1500 organisations on ISO
9000 and have experience in most sectors including all professions.
THE BENEFITS
OF A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A quality management
system approach to an organisation's business provides significant
benefits in many areas. Customers can see the organisation's commitment
to them in the provision of a quality service and internally employees
can see the management's commitment to the improvement of working
practices. Some of the major benefits are indicated below:
- Improvement
in the organisation's financial performance;
- Reduction
in the expectation gap between what the customer expects the organisation
to provide and what the organisation has agreed to provide;
- Reduction
in lost time due to rework or ineffective practices;
- Involvement
of all staff within the organisation's business activities;
- Better communication
structure;
- A defined
service standard which can be objectively measured;
- Improved
responsiveness to both customer and employee needs;
- A demonstrated
commitment to providing a quality service;
- Higher repeat
business/referrals due to a satisfied customer base;
- Reduced
probability of product/service liability claims.
Recent UK Dept
of Trade & Industry research involving interviews with 2317 organisations
using Dti "listed" quality consultants to implement ISO 9000 shows:-
Furthermore,
91% of the registered organisations obtained ISO 9000 at their first
attempt - a much higher success rate than that for organisations
not using Dti "listed" consultants. I would be pleased to supply
a copy of the survey.
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