We know that it is important to collect information and feedback from external and internal sources in order to identify problems and non-conformances.  But once you have found a problem, what steps do you take to resolve it? (more…)

Last week we identified another common process maturity level in many organizations, Phase Two — Documentation.  Frequently, this is where organizations get stuck, and are not able to advance in their management system maturity.  We also covered Phase three – Process Stability.  This week we will describe the next two levels in our process maturity model that we use to describe the phases of an improving effective management system.  We call the third level Corrective Action Phase and the fourth level Preventive Action Phase, and we will see why they are so difficult to reach.

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Everywhere in your organization people are carrying out business processes to make things happen. It doesn’t matter if the processes are well defined, poorly documented or if the staff is trained. If things are getting done - it is because people are executing business processes. (more…)

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.  (more…)

Lean ISO 9001? To many of you this will seem like a contradiction in terms. The term Lean and ISO 9001 are not generally used together, but why not? Does a Quality Management System (QMS) have to be complicated and cumbersome?

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I heard an expression once that rang really true with me. It said, “If an employee is surprised by anything in their performance review, then you are doing a poor job as a manager.” We should all recognize the importance of good communication, but how good are we at executing and employing basic communication principles as managers? If any of your employees come into a performance review unsure of what is going to happen, then you should know you are not doing as well as you could. (more…)

In our article series this month we have discussed how implementing an ISO 9001 Quality Management System can help your business. Two important topics covered so far were how it can actually help you streamline and simplify your document system (as opposed to the common misconception that ISO 9001 is a “document nightmare”). Last week we described how ISO 9001 can make your organization more competitive though a system of well-defined processes, by clearly capturing customer requirements, and an understood and regularly evaluated supply chain. (more…)

Do you know your organization’s vision statement?  Every organization should have one, and it should serve as a guiding principle for its members.  Then, the organization’s mission statement should directly align with the vision statement, and in a more specific way state how the visions is going to be fulfilled.  (more…)

Improvement Journey at Bizmanualz

At Bizmanualz, our mission is to help businesses and organizations improve through helping them implement innovative techniques and proven best practices. That philosophy carries through our manuals, our training classes, and our consulting efforts. (more…)

Last week we explored your vision for the New Year and produced an idea for a vision. Now let’s review your business model and see how your end-to-end process design stacks up to deliver your vision. (more…)