Sunday, October 17, 2010

Develop Quality Management System Documentation In ISO 9000 Standards

Develop Quality Management System Documentation In ISO 9000 Standards
Documentation is the most common area of non-conformance among organizations wishing to implement ISO 9000 quality management systems. As one company pointed out: “When we started our implementation, we found that documentation was inadequate. Even absent, in some areas. Take calibration. Obviously it’s necessary, and obviously we do it, but it wasn’t being documented. Another area was inspection and testing. We inspect and test practically every item that leaves here, but our documentation was inadequate”.
Documentation of the quality management system should include:
1. Documented statements of a quality policy and quality objectives,
2. A quality manual,
3. Documented procedures and records required by the standard ISO 9001:2008, and
4. Documents needed by the organization to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of its processes.

Quality documentation is generally prepared in the three levels indicated below that follows. Use ISO 10013:1995 for guidance in quality documentation.

Level A: Quality manual
States the scope of the quality management system, including exclusions and details of their justification; and describes the processes of the quality management system and their interaction. Generally gives an organization profile; presents the organizational relationships and responsibilities of persons whose work affects quality and outlines the main procedures. It may also describe organization’s quality policy and quality objectives.

Level B: Quality management system procedures
Describes the activities of individual departments, how quality is controlled in each department and the checks that are carried out.

Level C: Quality documents (forms, reports, work instructions, etc.)
1. Work instructions describe in detail how specific tasks are performed; include drawing standards, methods of tests, customer’s specifications, etc.
2. Presents forms to be used for recording observations, etc.

ISO 9000 Standards – Document control procedures


ISO 9000 Standards – Document control procedures
The ISO 9000 Standards requires that a documented procedure be established to define the controls needed.

This requirement means that the methods for performing the various activities required to control different types of documents should be defined and documented.

Although the ISO 9000 standards implies that a single procedure is required, should you choose to produce several different procedures for handling the different types of documents it is doubtful that any auditor would deem this noncompliant. Where this might be questionable is in cases where there is no logical reason for such differences and where merging the procedures and settling on a best practice would improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Documents are recorded information and the purpose of the document
control process is to firstly ensure the appropriate information is available
where needed and secondly to prevent the inadvertent use of invalid
information. At each stage of the process are activities to be performed that
may require documented procedures in order to ensure consistency and
predictability. Procedures may not be necessary for each stage in the process.

Every process is likely to require the use of documents or generate documents and it is in the process descriptions that you define the documents that need to be controlled. Any document not referred to in your process descriptions is therefore, by definition, not essential to the achievement of quality and not required to be under control. It is not necessary to identify uncontrolled documents in such cases. If you had no way of tracing documents to a governing process, a means of separating controlled from uncontrolled may well be necessary.

The procedures that require the use or preparation of documents should also specify or invoke the procedures for their control. If the controls are unique to the document, they should be specified in the procedure that requires the document. You can produce one or more common procedures that deal with the controls that apply to all documents. The stages in the process may differ depending on the type of document and organizations involved in its preparation, approval, publication and use. One procedure may cater for all the processes but several may be needed.
The aspects you should cover in your document control procedures, (some
of which are addressed further in this chapter) are as follows
Planning new documents, funding, prior authorization, establishing need
etc.

- Preparation of documents, who prepares them, how they are drafted,
conventions for text, diagrams, forms etc.
- Standards for the format and content of documents, forms and diagrams.
- Document identification conventions.
- Issue notation, draft issues, post approval issues.
- Dating conventions, date of issue, date of approval or date of distribution.
- Document review, who reviews them and what evidence is retained.
- Document approval, who approves them and how approval is denoted.
- Document proving prior to use.
- Printing and publication, who does it and who checks it.
- Distribution of documents, who decides, who does it, who checks it.
- Use of documents, limitations, unauthorized copying and marking.
- Revision of issued documents, requests for revision, who approves the
request, who implements the change.
- Denoting changes, revision marks, reissues, sidelining, underlining.
Amending copies of issued documents, amendment instructions, and
amendment status.
- Indexing documents, listing documents by issue status.
- Document maintenance, keeping them current, periodic review.
- Document accessibility inside and outside normal working hours.
- Document security, unauthorized changes, copying, disposal, computer
viruses, fire and theft.
- Document filing, masters, copies, drafts, and custom binders.
- Document storage, libraries and archive, who controls location, loan
arrangements.
- Document retention and obsolescence.

With electronically stored documentation, the document database may provide many of the above features and may not need to be separately prescribed in your procedures. Only the tasks carried out by personnel need to be defined in your procedures. A help file associated with a document database is as much a documented procedure as a conventional paper based procedure.

ISO 9000 Standards – Document Approval


ISO 9000 Standards – Document Approval
The ISO 9000 Standards requires that documents be approved for adequacy prior to issue.

Approval prior to issue means that designated authorities have agreed the document before being made available for use. Whilst the term ade-
quacy is a little vague it should be taken as meaning that the document is judged as fit for the intended purpose. In a paper based system, this means approval before the document is distributed. With an electronic system, it means that the documents should be approved before they are published or made available to the user community.

The ISO 9000 Standards document control process needs to define the process by which documents are approved. In some cases it may not be necessary for anyone other than the approval authority to examine the documents. In others it may be necessary to set up a panel of reviewers to solicit their comments before approval is given.
It all depends on whether the approval authority has all the information
needed to make the decision and is therefore ‘competent’. One might think that the CEO could approve any document in the organization but just because a person is the most senior executive does not mean he or she is competent to perform any role in the organization.

Users should be the prime participants in the approval process so that the
resultant documents reflect their needs and are fit for the intended purpose. If the objective is stated in the document, does it fulfil that objective? If it is stated that the document applies to certain equipment, area or activity, does it cover that equipment, area or activity to the depth expected of such a document? One of the difficulties in soliciting comments to documents is that you will gather comment on what you have written but not on what you have omitted. A useful method is to ensure that the procedures requiring the document specify the acceptance criteria so that the reviewers and approvers can check the document against an agreed standard.

To demonstrate documents have been deemed as adequate prior to issue,
you will need to show that the document has been processed through the
prescribed document approval process. Where there is a review panel, a simple method is to employ a standard comment sheet on which reviewers can indicate their comments or signify that they have no comment. During the drafting process you may undertake several revisions. You may feel it
necessary to retain these in case of dispute later, but you are not required to do so. You also need to show that the current issue has been reviewed so your comment sheets need to indicate document issue status.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Challenge Of ISO 14001 Standards

The Challenge Of ISO 14001 Standards

The building blocks of an environmental management system is an understanding of aspects and impacts.

Implementing ISO 14001 begins with identifying how an organisation’s business activities impact on the

environment.

Many organisations believe they are already aware of the significant aspects and impacts of their operations.

The process of implementing ISO 14001 may uncover significant impacts not previously identified and allows

for a consistent approach to analysis.

Generally this analysis is done department by department or centre by centre.

It is best if it is a team approach that involves the employees who do the activity. An employee’s

familiarity with a task is essential for both the identification of the environmental impacts of business

activities and the determination or implementation of control measures.

An aspect is any element of an organisation’s activities, products or services that can interact with the

environment.

An impact is the change caused to the environment.

Impacts may occur during normal and abnormal operating conditions, such as accidents and emergencies.

Aspects can often be isolated by analysing the inputs and outputs of an activity.

EVALUATION OF IMPACTS

Once the impacts have been determined they have to be evaluated.

Criteria for evaluation include environmental concerns such as the severity of the impact, and business

concerns such as potential regulatory and legal exposure, the probability of the impact occurring, the

cost of changing the impact and effect on public image.

This type of evaluation highlights the significant impacts. These, in turn, determine the significant

aspects. Once the significant aspects have been determined, targets and objectives can be set.

ISO 9000 Softwares


ISO 9000 Softwares

1. ISO 9000 SoftwareISO 9000 Document Control Software

The concept of document control is integral to ISO 9000. Specifically ISO 9001: 2000, requires the establishment of a document control system that stores and manages documents relating to implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a quality management system. Within the context of ISO 9000, a quality system must be documented and quality records must be maintained. Document control helps ensure effective operation and facilitates better decision-making, by providing a vehicle for employees, customers, and partners to access controlled documentation from any location at anytime.

For high-tech companies that adhere to ISO 14000 environmental management standards, document control procedures are equally necessary to help them continuously improve their environmental management system.

The ISO 9000 Document Control Software is developed & designed to control the ISO 9000 Quality Manual, Operating Procedure, Forms & Documents digitally. System will track the all ISO 9000 Documents by ISO Document No. through out the system.

The ISO 9000 Document Control Software Provides:-

Tracking of Documents- Provides secure tracking of all your ISO 9000 Quality Manual, Operating Procedure & Forms & Documents in any format either in Microsoft Word, Excel, PDF or etc.
Efficiency Document Control- It’s uniquely qualified to be the focal point of a quality management system because it can handle all types of documents regardless of the software used to create them. It provides a secure and centralized document control repository that makes search and retrieval easy during inspections and audits.
Revision Control- Tracking of Document revisions, approval & Release Date. Manually Tracking down any revision on the ISO 9000 document activity is difficult . The ISO 9000 Document Control Software will help to keep track the numbers of revision have been carried out, and also maintain the various revision copies of the documents.
Multiple File Location – System will be able to keep track the directories & folder where the original location is saved.
Centralize Of Document Control – Do not worry about the various department is getting the correct edition of the documents, because all documents have been managed by a centralize software. Document reviews are conveniently scheduled and documented.
Security:System provide User Right Control module which enable System Administrator to define the access right to authorized users and activity allowed.
2. ISO 9000 Software – ISO 9000 Audit Control Software

The ISO 9000 Audit Control Software were designed to handle all aspects of an internal or external audit programme, from planning audits to the follow-up of corrective actions against deficiencies found.

The Control Software increases the accountability and efficiency of your internal/external audits by developing core processes with clearly defined audit plans, step-by-step procedures, and standardized auditor roles and responsibilities. It will help to put you to the right path toward developing a well-organized ISO9001:2000 internal /external audit system.

The ISO 9000 Audit Control Software Provides:-

Audit Schedule – maintains the audit schedule, checklist preparation and all audit info.
Track Non-Conformance – System will help to track all non-conformances found during the audit, including actions & verification.
Corrective Action Report (CAR) – Update of the corrective action.
Security: System provide User Right Control module which enable System Administrator to define the access right to authorized users and activity allowed.
http://www.iso9000-software.com

ISO 9000 Standards – Quality Management Principles

ISO 9000 Standards – Quality Management Principles
A quality management principle is defined by ISO/TC 176 as a comprehensive and fundamental rule or belief, for leading and operating an organization, aimed at continually improving performance over the long term by focusing on customers while addressing the needs of all other interested parties. Eight principles have emerged as fundamental to the management of quality.

All the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 are related to one or more of these principles. These principles provide the reasons for the requirements and are thus very important. The quality management principles can be listed as below:

1. Customer focus
Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
The customer focus principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Communication with the customer
b. Care for customer property
c. The determination of customer needs and expectations
d. Appointment of a management representative
e. Management commitment

2. Leadership
Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction for the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives.
The leadership principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. The setting of objectives and policies
b. Planning
c. Internal communication
d. Creating an effective work environment

3. Involvement of people
People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization’s benefit.
The involvement of people principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Participation in design reviews
b. Defining objectives, responsibilities and authority
c. Creating an environment in which people are motivated
d. Internal communication
e. Identifying competence needs

4. Process approach
A desired result is achieved more efficiently when related resources and activities are managed as a process.
The process approach principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. The identity of processes
b. Defining process inputs and outputs
c. Providing the infrastructure, information and resources for processes to
function

5. System approach to management
This principle is expressed as follows:
Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
The system approach principle is reflected in ISO 9001 through the requirements addressing:
a. Establishing, implementing and maintaining the management system
b. Interconnection, interrelation and sequence of processes
c. The links between processes
d. Establishing measurement processes

6. Continual improvement
This principle is expressed as follows:
Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.
The continual improvement principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Improvement processes
b. Identifying improvements
c. Reviewing documents and processes for opportunities for improvement

7. Factual approach to decision making
This principle is expressed as follows:
Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.
The factual approach principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Reviews, measurements and monitoring to obtain facts
b. Control of measuring devices
c. Analysis to obtain facts from information
d. Records for documenting the facts
e. Approvals based on facts

8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
This principle is expressed as follows:
An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.
The mutually beneficial supplier relationships principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Control of suppliers
b. Evaluation of suppliers
c. Analysis and review of supplier data

Step by Step: Leading your company to Successful ISO 9001:2008 Registration

Step by Step: Leading your company to Successful ISO 9001:2008 Registration

1. ISO 9000 Introduction, a Process approach.

2. Gap Analysis: Schedule the Gap Analysis, Conduction and ISO 9001 Gap Analysis.

3. Prepare a Project Plan: The Team approach, Steering Team, Task Teams.

4. Train employees on ISO 9001: Mamagement Overview, Employee awareness, Keeping them informed.

5. Document your system: How much Documentation do you need, Importance of Documentation control

6. Implement the QMS in your Organization:Training on new procedures, Training of internal auditors.

7. Audit your QMS: Train internal Auditors, Conduct Internal Audits.

8. ISO 9001:2008 Registration Audit: Selecting a Registrar and then go ahead with registration.