What are Corrective Actions?

I ended my previous blog by stating that there is a relationship between non-conformances (problems) and corrective actions (solutions). Clearly action is necessary to fix a problem and this action can take 2 forms – immediate corrective action and root cause corrective action. The names really say it all. You need to take immediate action to prevent the material or service from being used and to fix it. You need to take root cause corrective action to prevent a recurrence [...]

Non-conformance is Just a Fancy Word

No Quality, WHS or Environmental System is perfect and no business is perfect. Problems may occur with the service you provide, your products, your processes, and your suppliers, the result being that stated requirements are not met. Those requirements might be stated in the specifications for the product, the service level agreements, a regulatory body, or your own internal procedures. In the language of management systems these problems are called non-conformances, but you may call them anything you like. It [...]

Quality Manual Secrets Revealed

When I audit ISO management systems - be they ISO 9001 for Quality, ISO 14001 for the Environment, ISO 18001 or AS/NZS 4801 for work, health and safety, or ISO 22000 for food safety - I see soooooo many Quality Manuals that are 20, 30, 40 Pages long. There is a better way. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System Requirements Standard states: 4.2.2 Quality manual The organisation has established & will maintain a quality manual that includes: a.  the scope of the quality management system, including [...]

What is an Integrated Management System?

An integrated management system (IMS) combines all related components of a business into one system for easier management and operations. Quality (QMS), Environmental (EMS), and Safety (OHSMS) management systems are the ones most often combined and managed as an IMS but you can integrate any of the ISO management system standards. What's in Common? It makes sense to integrate management standards because approximately 30% of the requirements in ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and AS/NZS 4801 or ISO 18001 are the [...]

The Importance of Management Commitment

ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems has high expectations for senior management. In fact about 15% of this Standards text is devoted to the responsibilities of management. This is in recognition of the fact that if senior management doesn’t support the system then it isn’t really going to work. Sure, you can probably get certified without the support of senior management. But without them your Quality Management System will be like an appendix – it’s there but it doesn’t really achieve [...]

You’re the Management Representative – now what do you do?

You've been assigned the role of management representative. Congratulations! Now what do you do? The Quality, Environmental and OHS standards all require the appointment of a management representative. This position may be full-time or part-time depending on the size of the organisation and the risks involved. They are often called the Quality Manager, Environmental Manager, OHS Manager, Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager, Health, Safety, Environment & Quality (HSEQ) Manager, Integrated Management System (IMS) Manager, and the list goes on. [...]