Tuesday, September 29, 2009

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO ISO 14001:2004

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO ISO 14001:2004
ISO 14001:2004 aims to clarify the 1996 edition and align it more closely with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Some clauses have not been modified for content but have been rewritten to align ISO 14001:2004 with the format, wording, and layout of ISO 9001:2000 and to enhance the compatibility between the two standards.
References in Annex A of the standard are aligned with the numbering in the standard for ease of use. Annex B of the standard identifies similarities and associations between ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004.
An important change in wording throughout the revised standard appears in requirements that previously stated that an organisation shall “establish and maintain”; these have now been changed to “establish, implement and maintain”.
Throughout the standard the word “personnel” in the original standard is replaced with “persons working for or on behalf of the organisation” in the revised standard. This is included to ensure that external contractors and applicable suppliers are included under the requirements of certain clauses.
In developing, implementing and maintaining the organisation’s EMS, significant environmental aspects, applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes must be considered, and management must ensure the availability of resources.
There are additional paragraphs in the introduction, which generally cover:
• the aim of the ISO 14001:2004 standard is to enhance compatibility with ISO 9001:2000;
• alignment is improved between clause references and supporting Annexes. For example, 4.3.3 and A.3.3 both deal with objectives, targets and programme(s), and 4.5.5 and A.5.5 both deal with internal audit;
• an explanation of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model used in ISO 9001:2000;
• the use of the process approach is promoted in alignment with ISO 9001:2000;
• possible alignment and integration with other management systems is reviewed

Saturday, September 12, 2009

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 in plain language

Both “ISO 9000” and “ISO 14000” are actually families of standards which are referred to under these generic titles for convenience. Both families consist of standards and guidelines relating to management systems, and related supporting standards on terminology and specific tools, such as auditing (the process of checking that the management systemconforms to the standard).
ISO 9000 is primarily concerned with “quality management“. In the everyday context, like “beauty”, everyone may have his or her idea of what “quality” is. But, in the ISO 9000 context, the standardized definition of quality refers to all those features of a product (or service) which are required by the customer. “Quality management” means what the organization does to ensure that its products or services satisfy the customer’s quality requirements and comply with any regulationsapplicable to those products or services.
ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with “environmental management”. In plain language, this means what the organization does to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities.
In addition, both ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 require organizations that implement them to improve their performance continually in, respectively, quality and environmental management.
Both ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 concern the way an organization goes about its work, and not directly the result of this work. In other words, they both concern processes, and not products – at least, not directly. Nevertheless, the way in which the organization manages its processes is obviously going to affect its final product.
In the case of ISO 9000, the efficient and effective management of processes is, for example, going to affect whether or not everything has been done to ensure that the product satisfies the customer’s quality requirements. In the case of ISO 14000, the efficient and effective management of processes is going to affect whether or not everything has been done to ensure a product will have the least harmful impact on the environment, at any stage in its life cycle, either by pollution, or by depleting natural resources.
However, neither ISO 9000 nor ISO 14000 are product standards. The management system standards in these families state requirements for what the organization must do to manage processes influencing quality (ISO 9000) or the processes influencing the impact of the organization’s activities on the environment (ISO 14000). In both cases, the philosophy is that management system requirements are generic. No matter what the organization is or does, if it wants to establish a quality management system or an environmental management system, then such a system has a number of essential features which are spelled out in the relevant ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 standards.

Quality Assurance in ISO 9001 Standards

Quality Assurance in ISO 9001 Standards

The adoption of a quality management system should be a strategic decision of an organization. The design and implementation of an organization’s quality management system is influenced by— its business environment, changes in that environment, or risks associated with that environment,— its varying needs,— its particular objectives,— the products it provides,— the processes it employs,— its size and organizational structure.It is not the intent of this International Standard to imply uniformity in the structure of quality management systems or uniformity of documentation.The quality management system requirements specified in this International Standard are complementary to requirements for products. Information marked “NOTE” is for guidance in understanding or clarifying theassociated requirement.This International Standard can be used by internal and external parties, including certification bodies, to assess the organization’s ability to meet customer, statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to theproduct, and the organization’s own requirements.The quality management principles stated in ISO 9000 and ISO 9004 have been taken into consideration during the development of this International Standard.

ISO 9001 – Compatibility with other management systems

ISO 9001 – Compatibility with other management systems
ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 are quality management system standards which have been designed to complement each other, but can also be used independently.ISO 9001 specifies requirements for a quality management system that can be used for internal application by organizations, for certification, or for contractual purposes. It focuses on the effectiveness of the qualitymanagement system in meeting customer requirements.ISO 9004 gives guidance on a wider range of objectives of a quality management system than does ISO 9001, particularly for the continual improvement of an organizations overall performance and efficiency, as well as its effectiveness. ISO 9004 is recommended as a guide for organizations whose top management wishes to move beyond the requirements of ISO 9001, in pursuit of continual improvement of performance. However, it is not intended for certification or for contractual purposes.
During the development of this International Standard, due consideration was given to the provisions of ISO 14001:2004 to enhance the compatibility of the two standards for the benefit of the user community.This International Standard does not include requirements specific to other management systems, such as those particular to environmental management, occupational health and safety management, financialmanagement or risk management. However, this International Standard enables an organization to align or integrate its own quality management system with related management system requirements. It is possible foran organization to adapt its existing management system(s) in order to establish a quality management system that complies with the requirements of this International Standard.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

ISO 9001:2008 Requirements – Resource Management

ISO 9001:2008 Requirements – Resource Management
6.1 Provision of ResourcesDetermine and provide the resources necessary to:? Implement and maintain the quality management system? Continually improve the effectiveness of the system? Enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer requirements6.2 Human Resources6.2.1 GeneralEnsure people performing work affecting conformity to product requirements are competent based on the appropriate education, training, skills, and experience.NOTE: Conformity to product requirements can be affected directly, or indirectly, by personnel performing any task within the quality management system.6.2.2 Competence, Training, and AwarenessThe organization must:? Determine the competency needs for personnel? Provide training (or take other actions) to achieve the necessary competence? Evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken? Inform employees of the relevance and importance of their activities? Ensure they know their contribution to achieving quality objectives? Maintain education, training, skill, and experience records
6.3 Infrastructure Determine, provide, and maintain the necessary infrastructure to achieve product conformity. Infrastructure includes, as applicable:? Buildings, workspace, and associated utilities? Process equipment (both hardware and software)? Supporting services (such as transport, communication, or information systems)6.4 Work EnvironmentDetermine and manage the work environment needed to achieve product conformity.NOTE: The term “work environment” relates to those conditions under which work is performed, including physical, environmental, and other factors such as noise, temperature, humidity, lighting, or weather.

ISO 9001:2008 FAQ

ISO 9001:2008 FAQ
What Is The ISO 9001: 2008 Standard?
The latest edition of the ISO 9001 standard ISO 9001: 2008, Quality Management Systems – Requirements, was officially published by (ISO) the International Organization for Standardization on November 14, 2008. It is the fourth edition of the ISO 9001 standard since it was first published in 1987.
Who Is Responsible For Revising The standards?
The ISO Technical Committee no.176, Sub-committee no.2 (ISO/TC 176/SC 2) is responsible for the revision process in collaboration with consensus among quality and industry experts nominated by ISO Member bodies, and representing all interested parties.
Does ISO 9001:2008 Have Additional Requirements Beyond ISO 9001:2000 ?
This latest (4th) edition of ISO 9001 contains no new requirements compared to the (3rd) year 2000 edition, which it replaces. What it does is provide clarification to the existing requirements of ISO 9001:2000 based on eight years’ experience of worldwide implementing of the standard and introduces changes intended to improve consistency with the environmental management system standard, ISO 14001:2004.
The clarifications and changes in ISO 9001:2008 represents fine-tuning, rather than a thorough overhaul. It focuses on changes that organizations might make to better comply with the spirit of the standard without adding, deleting, or altering its requirements. The changes are minor in nature and address such issues as the need to clarify, provide greater consistency, resolve perceived ambiguities, and improve compatibility with ISO 14001. The numbering system and the structure of the standard remain unchanged. As a result, the new standard looks much like the old standard.
ISO has grouped the changes incorporated in this ISO 9001:2008 edition into the following categories:- No changes or minimum changes on user documents, including records- No changes or minimum changes to existing QMS processes- No additional training required or minimal training required- No effects on current certifications
In contrast, the 3rd edition, ISO 9001:2000 published in 2000, represented a major overhaul of the standard, including new requirements and a sharpened customer focus, reflecting developments in quality management and experience gained since the publication of the initial version.
Then Why Was It Necessary To Introduce This Revision?All ISO standards – currently more than 17 400 – are periodically reviewed. To ensure that ISO standards are maintained at the state of the art, ISO has a rule requiring them to be periodically reviewed and a decision taken to confirm, withdraw or revise the documents. The review process must be initiated within 3 years of publication of a standard. The review considers several factors such as technological evolution, new methods and materials, new quality and safety requirements, or questions of interpretation and application.
The review of ISO 9001 resulting in the 2008 edition was carried out by subcommittee SC 2 of ISO/TC 176. This subcommittee, which is responsible for the ISO 9000 family, unites expertise from 80 participating countries and 19 international or regional organizations, plus other technical committees.
This review has a number of inputs that help it:
A global user questionnaire/survey
A market Justification Study
Suggestions arising from the ISO/TC 176 interpretation process
Opportunities for increased compatibility with ISO 14001
The need for greater clarity, ease of use, and improved translation
Current trends – keeping up with recent developments in management system practices.
How Does The New ISO 9001 Edition Affect Existing ISO 9001 QMS’s?
As organizations start looking at ISO 9001:2008, they will wonder to what extent the changes might affect them. To a large extent, the new standard will not result in significant change to existing quality management systems (QMS).
ISO/TC 176 was careful in not making change for change sake. In the case of editorial changes, this was especially true. This could have lead to a false impression that there was a change in requirements, carrying greater significance than was intended. In those instances, when the committee members couldn’t come to a consensus in determining if a change added or deleted a requirement, they opted to retain the existing text. They decided it was better to err on the side of caution rather than to contribute to any misunderstanding in the marketplace.
The changes that have been incorporated into this edition of the ISO 9001 standard include changes that should lead to a better understanding across a broader range of product types, including service organizations; use of deliberate wording to minimize the potential for incorrect user interpretation; and reflect nuances of similar concepts. Lastly, some of the changes to specific clauses were made based on the 2004 International User Feedback Survey. This survey was conducted after the publication of ISO 9001:2000 and had invited respondents to identify areas they most wanted to see improved.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Structure Of ISO 9001

ISO 9001 was first published in 1987. Later, it went through three revisions in 1994, 2000 and 2008. The latest version version of the ISO 9001 standard was published on 14th November 2008. This is the structure of the standard:
Clause 1 Scope
Clause 2 Normative reference
Clause 3 Terms and definitions
Clause 4 Quality management system
Clause 5 Management responsibility
Clause 6 Resource management
Clause 7 Product realization
Clause 8 Measurement, analysis and improvement

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ISO 9001:2008 General Requirements

ISO 9001:2008 General Requirements

4.1 General requirements
The organization shall establish, document, implement and maintain a quality management system and continually improve its effectiveness in accordance with the requirements of this International Standards. The organization
shall determine the processes needed for the quality management system and their application throughout the organizations,
determine the sequence and interaction of these processes,
determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that both the operation and control of these processes are effective,
ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the operation and monitoring of these processes,
monitor, measure (where applicable) and analyze these processes, and
implement actions necessary to achieve planned results and continual improvement of these processes.
These processes shall be managed by the organization in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard.
Where an organization chooses to outsource any process that affects product conformity to requirements, the organization shall ensure control over such processes. The type and extent of control to be applied to these outsourced processes shall be defined within the quality management system.
NOTE 1: Processes needed for the quality management system referred to above include processes for management activities, provision of resources, product realization and measurement, analysis and improvement.
NOTE 2: An outsourced process is identified as one being needed for the organization’s quality management system, but chosen to be performed by a party external to the organization.
NOTE 3: Ensuring control over outsourced processes does not absolve the organization of the responsibility of conformity to all customer, statutory, and regulatory requirements. The type and extent of control to be applied to the outsourced process can be influenced by factors such asa) the potential impact of the outsourced process on the organization’s capability to provide product that conforms to requirements,b) the degree to which the control for the process is shared;c) the capability of achieving the necessary control through the application of clause 7.4.
Clause 4.2 Documentation requirements
4.2.1 General
The quality management system documentation shall includedocumented statements of a quality policy and quality objectives,
a quality manual,
documented procedures and records required by this International Standard,
documents including records, needed determined by the organization to be necessary to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of its processes
NOTE 1: Where the term “documented procedure” appears within this International Standard, this means that the procedure is established, documented, implemented and maintained. A single document may include the requirements for one or more procedures. A requirement for a documented procedure may be covered by more than one document.
NOTE 2: The extent of the quality management system documentation can differ from one organization to another due to the size of organization and type of activities, the complexity of processes and their interactions, and the competence of personnel.
NOTE 3: The documentation can be in any form or type of medium.
4.2.2 Quality Manual
The organization shall establish and maintain a quality manual that includes the scope of the quality management system, including details of and justification for any exclusions (see 1.2), the documented procedures established for the quality management system, or reference to them, and a description of the interaction between the processes of the quality management.
4.2.3 Control of documents
Documents required by the quality management system shall be controlled. Records are a special type of document and shall be controlled according to the requirements given in 4.2.4.
A documented procedure shall be established to define the controls needed
to approve documents for adequacy prior to issue,
to review and update as necessary and re-approve documents,
to ensure that the changes and the current revision status of documents are identified,
to ensure that relevant versions of applicable documents are available at points of use,
to ensure that documents of external origin are identified and their distribution controlled, and
to prevent the unintended use of obsolete documents, and to apply suitable identification to them if they are retained for any purpose.
4.2.4 Control of records
Records established to provide evidence of conformity to requirements and of the effective operation of the quality management system shall be controlled. The organization shall establish a documented procedure to define the controls needed for the identification, storage, protection, retrieval, retention, and disposition of records. Records shall remain legible, readily identifiable, and retrievable.