1
Top management commitment
is vital if the system is to be implemented successfully. Make sure senior
managers are actively involved, approve resources and agree the key processes
in the business.
2
Look at what systems,
policies, procedures and processes you have in place at the moment. Then
compare those with what ISO 9001 asks for. You may be surprised at how much you
already do. ISO 9001will allow you to keep the things that work for you while refining
those that don’t.
3
Make sure you have good
internal communication channels and processes within the organization. Staff
need to be involved and kept informed of what’s going on.
4
Give some thought to how
departments work together. It’s important that the people within your
organization don’t work in isolation but work as a team for the benefit of the
customers and the organization.
5
Don’t ignore the impact
that introducing these systems will have on your customers and suppliers. Speak
to them to gain insight as to how they view your service and how they feel improvements
could be made.
6
Clearly lay out a
well-communicated plan of activities and timescales. Make sure everybody understands
them and their role in achieving them.
7
The nature and complexity
of your documentation will depend on the nature and complexity of your organization.
ISO 9001 only defines the need for six procedures. What you have in addition to
this is up to you. Consider using your
IT systems or software such as BSI’s Entropy® Software
to manage your system and documentation more efficiently.
8
Make the achievement of ISO
9001 engaging and fun. Use competitions, such as for the first completed
process. These will increase motivation.
9
Train your staff to carry
out audits of the system. Auditing can help with an individual’s development
and understanding as well as providing
valuable feedback on potential problems and opportunities for improvement.
10
And finally, if you feel
that you are doing something just for the sake of ISO 9001 and it doesn’t add
any value to you as a business, question whether it’s necessary. Nine times out
of ten it won’t be needed.
Source
: www.bsigroup.com
