Quality Auditing

• Do you want to ensure consistency of service?
  
• Are customers assured of a known level of quality?
  
• Would you like to increase customer confidence?
  
• Do your staff understand their roles and can they easily learn about their job?
  
• Would you like to continually identify improvements?
  
• Do you want to reduce waste?
  
  

 

ISO 9000 Quality Standard

ISO9000 is a standard set out by the International Organisation for Standardisation which defines a framework for documenting processes to meet minimum quality requirements. Awarding certification in the UK is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or companies appointed by the DTI.

IS09000 is in fact a family of standards, each part relating to a particular type of work being assessed. IS09001, for instance, is a model for 'quality assurance in design and development, production, installation and servicing'. ISO9002 is a model for 'quality assurance in development, production, installation and servicing'. ISO9003 is a model for 'quality assurance in final inspection and test'.

Any company can attempt to gain certification, and many already have. In 1998, over 63,000 companies had achieved the standard (from the DTI Register 1998).

So what does it achieve? Well, the idea is to ensure that all work produced is of a consistent quality. It should be repeatable and an 'audit trail' should be maintained in case of problems later down the line. Procedures in IS09000 are documented, which means that business areas can keep the way they do things consistent, from staff member to staff member. Keeping a written record of how tasks are performed also makes it easier to identify areas which can be improved.

Ultimately, achieving and then maintaining the standard should result in happier customers (both internal and external). The work you do will increasingly become right-first-time, creating a better relationship with customers, saving costs and increasing your efficiency.

Implementation of the standard means that all of the main tasks undertaken by workers should be properly documented, signed by reviewers and an authorising manager before being put into use. Documentation can be superceded if revisions are needed, but these revisions must also be authorised. Old versions must be kept, so that it is clear to auditors how a document has 'grown' over time.

Another way in which your company benefits from ISO9000 is the benchmark it provides against other companies. You will be able to compare yourself with other certified companies to look for ways to improve the way you work.

For more information contact Mearsecroft
Created and updated by Spiders Webs