A fundamental requirement of ISO9001:2015 standard is for top management to be involved in all aspects of the quality management system instead of delegating responsibility.
As part of these responsibilities the ISO9001:2015 introduction makes reference to the seven principles of quality management.
1. Customer focus
The primary focus of ISO9001:2015 is to meet or exceed customer expectations.
Any organisation will only survive if it attracts and retains customers.
Key to this is the ability to understand current requirements, collate and react to feedback (both bad and good) and plan for their future needs.
2. Leadership
Leaders at all levels establish unity of purpose and direction and create conditions in which people are engaged in achieving the quality objectives of the organization.
The standard requires that top management demonstrate leadership by communicating the aims and objectives of ISO9001:2015 to interested parties at the appropriate level.
3. Engagement of people
It is essential for the organization that all people are competent, empowered and engaged in delivering value.
Competent, empowered and engaged people throughout the organization enhance its capability to create value.
To manage an organization effectively and efficiently, it is important to involve people at all levels and respect them as individuals. Recognition, empowerment and enhancement of skills and knowledge facilitate the engagement of people in meeting or exceeding the objectives of the organization.
4. Process approach
Consistent and predictable results are achieved more effectively and efficiently when activities
are understood and managed as interrelated processes that function as a coherent system.
Any organisation’s activities are consisting of a number of interrelated processes.
Understanding what these processes are and how they interact is essential in order to meet
the requirements of ISO9001:2015.
5. Continual improvement
ISO9001:2015, in common with most management system standards, requires a continual
improvement process is in place.
The starting point is usually the annual management review.
Any initiatives must have realistic targets and evidence provided that progress towards these
are monitored by top management.
6. Evidence-based decision making
Any decisions made should be based on objective evidence.
For example, this could be feedback from internal and external audits and interested parties.
Any changes to the quality management system must be assessed for their impact on its
overall effectiveness.
7. Relationship management
For sustained success, organizations manage their relationships with interested parties.
These include suppliers; employees and their families; shareholders/owners of the business;
competitors; neighbours; government agencies/regulators; emergency services (e.g. fire
fighters, police, ambulance, etc.); customers; local and national media; quality related suppliers
and service providers; partners and anyone else considered important to our business.
We can help you update your management systems to meet the requirements of ISO9001:2015 and assist you to gain registration.