Category: ISO training Courses

The tenth way of improving quality is continual improvement.

Continual improvement is when the improvement is step by step. It is one of the constant and surest ways of improvement. The organization has to continually improve its Quality Management System in the aspects of its effectiveness, suitability and adequacy. Continual improvement has to be a recurring activity to enhance the performance of its QMS.

Another way of improving quality as per ISO 9001:2015 standard is breakthrough change.

By breakthrough, it is meant that a significant change in the performance of the process is a result of determined human effort and not luck. A chance change in the system can also result in the improvement of the processes, but if we do not understand what exactly the change is, it is possible that the performance may deteriorate. Thus, the processes must be studied and a theory for improvement has to be proposed, tested, verified and then implemented. Only then the breakthrough will occur.

Breakthrough change is one of the examples of improvement mentioned in clause number 10.1. Quality improvement has often happened in the history of mankind by invention or breakthrough change.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. To know more about this training, drop an email at trg@eurotechworld.net or call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

The ninth way of improving quality mentioned in the ISO 9001:2015 standard is correction and corrective action.

Correction and corrective action have two different meanings. Whenever nonconformity occurs and steps are taken to rectify it, then it is known as correction.

In another case, whenever nonconformity occurs and steps are taken to eliminate the root cause of its occurrence that will prevent it from occurring again in future is known as corrective action.

Correction is a onetime solution of the non conformity, whereas corrective action is a permanent solution of non conformity preventing its recurrence.

Correction is defined in clause no. 10.2.1 a) of the ISO 9001:2015 Standard. The clause states that when any non conformity occurs including any complaints received, the organization shall react to it and take action to control and correct it.

Corrective action is defined in clause 10.2.1 b) of the standard. It states that whenever a non conformity occurs, including any complaints received, the organization shall identify the root cause of the non conformity and eliminate it, so that the non conformity does not recur or occur elsewhere. This is done by reviewing and analyzing the non conformity, pointing out the cause for its occurrence, and distinguishing if similar non conformities exist or could potentially occur.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. To know more about this training, drop an email at trg@eurotechworld.net or call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

The seventh and eighth way of improving quality, mentioned in ISO 9001:2015 standard is positive and negative risk based thinking.

Negative Risk Based Thinking

When an organization plans for the quality management system, it has to consider external and internal issues as well as all customer, statutory and regulatory requirements. The organization shall also determine the opportunities and risks that can prevent or reduce the undesired effects.

This keeps the focus on the investigation of the root cause followed by preventive and corrective actions. 

Positive Risk Based Thinking

The organization shall, while planning for the QMS, consider the issues referred to in 4.1 (i.e. internal and external issues) and the requirements referred to in 4.2 (i.e. customer, statutory and regulatory requirements) and determine the risks and opportunities that need to be addressed to achieve improvement.

This is mentioned in Clause No. 6.1.1 d of the ISO 9001:2015 standard. This is the first time that an ISO standard has addressed the positive side of risk by viewing opportunity, which can lead to adoption of new practices, launching new products, opening new markets, etc to address the needs of the organization as well as its customers.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. To know more about these training, drop an email at trg@eurotechworld.net or call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

The sixth way of improving quality is safety design. 

Safety is one of the many characteristics of quality. Safety is achieved when there is quality in designs, processes and performance. 

The clause 8.3.5 d) of the standard states that the organization has to ensure that the developed and designed outputs specify the characteristics of the products and services which are essential for the purpose intended and their proper and safe provision.

An example of safety design is when in 2013, 50 of the Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners were grounded because of battery failures. Boeing identified the cause of failure and rectified it with the help of a better quality design, and the improvement was implemented before the planes took to the skies. 

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. To know more about this training, drop an email at trg@eurotechworld.net or call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

The second way stated in ISO 9001:2015 standard for improving quality is establishing good quality objectives.

The clause 6.2.1 of the standard states that, “The organization shall establish quality objectives at relevant functions, levels and processes needed for the quality management system.”

Once the leader takes the responsibility for quality, the next step they have to do is to establish quality objectives in such a way that they are in line with the vision and mission of the organization. 

The third way of improving quality is making quality policy.

The clause 5.2.1 d) of the standard states that, “Top management shall establish, implement and maintain a quality policy that includes a commitment to continual improvement of the quality management system.”

Before ISO 9001:2015, a quality policy was just a statement framed and hung on a wall. But nowadays, leaders can use the quality policy as a tool that will help them move in the right direction and monitor the overall intention.

The features of a best quality policy are that it should be very simple and effective but should also refer to specific purposes.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. To know more about this training, drop an email at trg@eurotechworld.net for getting more information about these trainings or call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

ISO 9001:2015 standard provides 15 effective ways which can boost improvement in quality. We will discuss these ways one by one in separate posts.

One of the ways on improving quality is leadership.

In previous standards, the responsibility of quality came on the quality managers. But now, a shift has taken place and the responsibility of quality now lies in the hands of the leaders.

Clause 5.1.1 (a) states that, “Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the quality management system by taking accountability for the effectiveness of the quality management system.”

As the leader holds authority over the organization, the drive towards quality can be more effective and efficient. Thus we can say that, leadership will hopefully direct the organization on the path of quality excellence.

Implementation of this change has already made a major impact on all the industries.

Eurotech is an IRCA CQI approved training partner, providing ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city at nominal fees. To know more about these training, drop an e-mail at trg@eurotechworld.net. You can also call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

You are walking down a street, looking for a showroom to buy a dress. You stop at the window of a recently opened showroom of, have a look at the displayed dress and notice the prices are a bit high. You have a peek inside and see that there are a few customers and the general atmosphere is not very welcoming. You decide to keep on walking to find a showroom that’ll meet your expectations.

Further down the road, you stop at a showroom you have visited often in the past. Most of the salesperson knows you and some even know the style you prefer. But you decide to keep on walking because they have not changed their collection of clothes during the past 2 years and the shop is not that well maintained.

In each of the above cases, do you expect the salesperson or the manager to consider you as one of their customers?

ISO 9000:2005 defined a customer as, “An organization or a person that receives a product”.

Therefore, as you didn’t buy anything from either showroom, you were not considered as their customer.

ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 does not expect both the showrooms to wonder why you didn’t entered in.

But, ISO 9001:2015 defines a customer as, “A person or an organization that could or does receive a product or service that is intended for or required by this person or organization.” This means that, all the people who could have bought our product (i.e. potential customers) and all the people that no longer buy our product (i.e. lost customers) are customers as well. Therefore, ISO 9001:2015 requires both the showrooms to consider you as their customer.

Earlier i.e. for previous versions of ISO 9001, customers were only considered as customers when they entered into an agreement with the supplier of the product or service. This agreement is the starting point of quality management system. Before entering into this agreement, the organization or the supplier of the products and services has to be sure that it understands the requirements of the customer and would be able to meet them.

The end point of the QMS is when the product or service is received by the customer, and the organization does its best to measure the degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction when the customer uses the product. 

What can an organization do for potential or lost customers?

Meeting with the customers and asking them questions is quite difficult because

• The organization may not know who the customers are?
• The organization may not have the chance to meet the customers again.

However, some of the indicators are:

• Number of offers that did not end in agreement
• Loyalty of customer
• Share in the market etc.

Eurotech has an experiential training program for teams that are at the center stage of delivering customer service. For more information drop an e-mail at trg@eurotechworld.net. You can also give us a call at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

The first step in Quality Management System implementation project or QMS transition is to carry out a comparison between your current QMS and the requirements of ISO 9001 standard.

This is called Gap Analysis.

Certain things that need to be fulfilled before conducting a successful gap analysis are:

• Identifying people (one or more) who will conduct the gap analysis. The people selected should preferably have some experience in quality management or conducting audit.
• Assistance of a consultant should be considered.
• Creating a Gap Analysis Checklist.

The components of completing a Gap Analysis are:

1. Scheduling the gap analysis
2. Conducting the scheduled gap analysis
3. Making a report on the basis of the conducted gap analysis and utilizing the results.

Checklist of ISO 9001 Gap Analysis

This is the most important tool of Gap Analysis. Gap Analysis Checklist is a list of requirements written in the form of questions. The auditor conducting the gap analysis uses this list of questions to compare the existing QMS with the requirements stated in the ISO 9001 standard. Where the QMS does not meet the stated requirements, it is known as a “Gap”.

This checklist helps the auditor in the audit process, providing him with the recommendations as to which documents he should look for. It also acts as a place of documenting the requirements that were met and that weren’t.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. Please contact trg@eurotechworld.net for getting more information about these trainings. You can also call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.

ISO 9001:2015 training can be given to the following personnel in your organization. These are:

• Training the project manager and the team leaders: Training the project manager on ISO 9001 and its implementation, results in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the system and the implementation process.
• Training the employees: Due to ignorance of the surroundings, employees may feel anxious. Therefore they need an awareness of:
  • What exactly is ISO 9001 and why does your organization is adopting it?
  • How will it impact the job of the employees and what impact do they have on quality?
  • In what opportunities they can help?
• Training the teams: The members of the task team have to understand the standard in more detail for executing their job correctly.
• Training the internal auditors: The team of auditors should be made understood of ISO 9001 and on ISO 9001 internal auditing.

Eurotech, an IRCA approved training partner (ATP), is conducting ISO 9001:2015 trainings in your city. Contact trg@eurotechworld.net for getting more information about these trainings. You can also call us at +91 9316744482 or 0172 - 4191128.