|
||
|
|
Save 45% when you buy the CEO Series. It covers the ten core business processes and comes with nine fully-editable manuals for:
|
|
Lean ISO 9001 Quality Management System
Question of the month: Does complying with the ISO 9001 Standard have to be a “document nightmare?”
The old adage frequently applied to ISO 9001 is “Say what you do and do what you say.” Some organizations seem to take this to mean “Write down everything you do,” but that is really not required by the standard. The actual requirement is that processes are well-defined and responsibilities clearly communicated. This can be accomplished through a lot of methods that require little documentation, such as training.
The key concept is that the goal is to use the ISO 9001 Standard to improve your business, and if it becomes a burdensome paper bureaucracy, then that is probably not happening. Using a Lean (meaning not wasteful) approach to ISO 9001 is one way to ensure it becomes a boon, not a bust, to your organization.
Lean ISO 9001 QMS – The Quality Manual
The quality manual is an important facet of an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. The goal should be to have a lean and functional Quality Manual that is easy to maintain, distribute, and most importantly – use. This not only eliminates waste, it sets the tone that the Quality Management System and its documentation isn’t a needless burden;but an important building block to improvement.
Read more about lean ISO 9001 quality manual;
Lean ISO 9001 QMS – Quality Systems Procedures
The goal of procedures in an organization is to document key processes. The ISO 9001 Standard does not specify any format for writing procedures, nor does it specify a length. Since no one wants to read long-winded, boring procedures – why write them? Why not write one, two or three page procedures using formats like flow charts and lists that are brief and easy to understand? Again, using a Lean approach makes procedures more useful so they can benefit an organization instead of being a paper burden.
Read more about lean quality system procedures;
Lean ISO 9001 QMS – Other QMS Documents
Very few documents are actually required by the ISO 9001 standard. But at times developing simple, straightforward documents may be the easiest way to meet the standard, but even more importantly, provide a benefit to your organization. Your organization must reflectively and actively decide when and where documentation is needed.
Read more about lean QMS documents;
On That Note
Answer to this month’s question:
Complying with ISO 9901 does not have to be a “document nightmare.” Understanding the requirements of the standard and developing ways to meet them does not always require a lot of documentation. In fact, the more Lean approach you take to creating documentation, the more likely the documentation you create will help your organization.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments. Also, please let us know if you’d like any specific topic addressed in our future articles.
Regards,
Chris
Bizmanualz
Related Articles:
This and more articles like this can be found at www.bizmanualz.com. This article may be reprinted freely as long as this resource box is left intact.
