Remember, auditors need to be competent not necessarily qualified

So you need to do some internal audits for 9001 – but can you just be ‘competent’ as it states in the standard or is it worth going the whole hog and becoming ‘qualified’?  Certainly those of you who want to make a career of auditing are advised to take those few days away from [...]

How to get the most from your Management Review

Now this is a crucial part of your QMS mainly because it is often the area that auditors start with in order to gauge how well the system is being maintained.  If you think about you can understand why as it defines several aspects all in one document. How is the system fairing; are things [...]

How to make your Audit Report a good read

Travelling round a variety of businesses as I do I come across a wide range of, how should I put this, well styles of audits reports I guess.  However, there is still a tendancy for an audit report to be written like a story.  You know paragraph after paragraph with no obvious breaks or sections. [...]

Ever wondered what soft skills you need for that QMS?

Once you are in the driving seat of that QMS you soon start to realise that there is more to running that 9001 system than just knowing the standard inside out and being qualified to do the internal audits. You are the key person in your organisation and to be effective you will need to [...]

“9001 – The Collection” if you want to learn cool stuff in a hurry

Recognising that businesses need information as quickly as possible in order to implement it and gain benefits,  I am now offering the full set of ISO 9001 Training Guide videos under the banner “9001 – The Collection”.  Rather than work through the free series each fortnight for six months you can be in total control [...]

It doesn’t say you have to use Flowcharts – does it?

The use of flowcharts causes much discussion, with everyone having an opinion as to the best style and structure. However, what’s all the fuss about when they are not even mandated as part of a QMS?  9001 states that the QMS can be recorded on any format so why not carry on doing what we [...]

Get your Site sorted as well as the System for that Stage 2 audit

Understandably a lot of focus is put on getting the quality system ready for that final audit but the need to do likewise around the site shouldn’t be overlooked. Whilst some may view these as very basic, those undertaking this audit for the first time might benefit from the prompt. Housekeeping is an obvious one [...]

When passing an ISO 9001 audit with ‘flying colours’ flatters to deceive

Over the years there have been many instances when I see sites pin their ‘flying colours’ to the mast after their audit and it makes me wonder because I know for a fact that the site in question has major issues,  For example, the system hasn’t been managed for months; internal audits haven’t been done and customers have [...]

Be clear on the three ‘actions’ in your ISO system

One of the most confusing aspects for management representatives to get their heads round when taking on a quality system has to be the concept of Corrective, Preventative and Preventive action.  As they return weary eyed from their auditor course and laden with notes and forms they have to be clear which one to implement and [...]

Who’s up for getting Whitehall ISO approved?

Well who would have thought it. That recent report by Sir Philip Greene has condemned Government procurement practices as ‘shocking’. He then goes on to quote examples that are just too bizarre for words. Yes I know this is nothing new but uncontrolled and inefficient processes, coupled with a lack of understanding and ownership and [...]