Friday, January 1, 2010

ISO 9001 Standards Requirement – Product Realization


ISO 9001 Standards Requirement – Product Realization

Planning of Product Realization
Plan and develop the processes needed for product realization. Keep the planning consistent with other requirements of the quality management system and document it in a suitable form for the organization. Determine through the planning, as appropriate, the:
Quality objectives and product requirements
Need for processes, documents, and resources
Verification, validation, monitoring, measurement, inspection, and test activities
Criteria for product acceptance
Records as evidence the processes and resulting product meet requirements

Customer-Related Processes

Determination of Requirements Related to the Product
Determine customer requirements:
Specified for the product (including delivery and post-delivery activities)
Not specified for the product (but needed for specified or intended use, where known)
Determine:
Statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the product
Any additional requirements considered necessary by the organization

Review of Requirements Related to the Product
Review the product requirements before committing to supply the product to the customer in order to:
Ensure product requirements are defined
Resolve any requirements differing from those previously expressed
Ensure its ability to meet the requirements
Maintain the results of the review, and any subsequent follow-up actions. When the requirements are not documented, they must be confirmed before acceptance.
If product requirements are changed, ensure relevant documents are amended and relevant personnel are made aware of the changed requirements.
NOTE: In some situations, such as internet sales, a formal review is impractical for each order. Instead, the review can cover relevant product information such as catalogs or advertising material.

Customer Communication
Determine and implement effective arrangements for communicating with customers on:
Product information
Inquiries, contracts, or order handling (including amendments)
Customer feedback (including customer complaints)


Understand Quality Management


Quality Management may be defined as the process through which organizations apply statistical process control mechanisms in order to improve the quality and standards of goods and services that are manufactured. Closely related to Quality Management is tqm, also known as total quality management. This is basically a management strategy that is applied in businesses in order to create awareness of high quality in most organizational processes. Quality Management features three main components including quality assurance, quality improvement and quality control. Quality management is focused not only on the quality of products and services but also on continuous improvement of quality standards.

Most methods that are now being used for Quality Management, quality system and quality manufacturing system take into consideration the need for high quality as an essential attribute in services and products that are manufactured by companies and organizations.Quality Management usually involves the successful improvement of quality of services and products. This is usually done through quality training processes where one can also acquire lessons on quality process and process management. One tool that is used for ensuring auditing quality in Quality Management is the MasterControlQAAD(TM) software. Besides using tools to carry out Quality Management successfully, one can also consider applying project management. This will help ensure continuous quality improvement.

The other way through which organizations can improve quality of process and service output is by using six sigma. This is basically a business management strategy that helps identify and remove defects and variations in the manufacturing process. It also helps guarantee Quality Management. It works by using a set of high quality business management and overall management methods to ensure quality and guarantee Quality Management. Most products and services to which Quality Management is applied are certified with iso certificates. Some of the iso certificates that guarantee that a product or service has undertaken Quality Management, change management and process improvement is iso 9001.

iso 9001 and iso 14001:2004 set down specific guidelines for environmental management systems and Quality Management. Other guidelines can be found in other generic process management philosophies such as the lean management that follows iso 9000 quality improvement standards aimed at guaranteeing total quality to its quality systems. The other mode through which organizations guarantee Quality Management is by use of a quality plan that meets iso 14000 and iso 14001 iso certification requirements. The other iso certification that guarantees product quality in Quality Management include iso 9001 2000.

In order to meet supplier quality in Quality Management systems, there are several iso training sessions that are offered. These meet iso standards. An organization that is in need of Quality Management for its products and services may also consider using a quality manual for its day to day Quality Management plans. Such a manual will usually have guidelines for iso quality. However, when applying the guidelines in the manual, regard must be had to quality audit measures aimed at guaranteeing Quality Management for the organization. Quality Management also involves knowledge of as9100 and iso 13485 that are commonly applicable in supplier management.

Quality Management programs that are iso certified help offer quality policy to existing iso 9001 certifications and quality management system that meet iso 9000 and ts16949 requirements. Quality companies that are aimed at ensuring Quality Management for the products and services that they manufacture also use quality management software that guarantees managing quality. In order to enhance Quality Management, the software guarantees quality procedures through its high rate of functionality. Besides such software, an organization can adopt quality assurance training and also offer quality consulting to its members in order to guarantee Quality Management to its products and services.

There are also several quality project management plans, which meet iso standards such as iso 9002 that are available today. Such plans are usually developed with a view to developing flexible, affordable and scalable management solutions to companies that seek to uphold Quality Management for their products and services. Such plans feature quality management systems that offer quality control management and quality assurance management through quality a management plan. Other quality objectives that can be obtained through iso 9001 training thus meeting iso 9000 certification use project management skills to improve Quality Management for the manufactured products and services.


ISO 9000 family of standards and SMEs


ISO 9000 family of standards and SMEs

The ISO 9000 quality management system is generic in nature and applicable to all companies, regardless of the type and size of the business, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and they are applicable to all categories of products, whether hardware, software, processed materials or services. ISO 9001:2008 specifies what is required to be done by an organization but does not indicate how it should be done, thus giving the enterprise a lot of flexibility to run its business.

It is simple to use, clear in language and easily understandable. The new standard is also appropriate for small companies, as it does not demand the type of paper bureaucracy needed for the implementation of the 1994 version. Only six documented procedures are now required and need for other procedures/documents can be decided by the company. Companies will, however, be required to provide objective evidence that the QMS has been effectively implemented. A small company may find it appropriate to include the description of its entire QMS within a single Quality Manual, including all the documented procedures required by the standard.

The process-based approach given in the new standard will tend to ensure that systems are documented and implemented in a manner that suits a SME’s own way of doing business. This approach makes it easier for SMEs to implement, instead of just taking over an artificial structure of QMS imposed from outside. It will also be easier for SMEs managed by their owners to demonstrate “top management commitment” towards QMS. Furthermore, in a SME, it is easier to ensure effective internal communication, better utilization of resources, people clearly understanding their roles and responsibilities, etc.

The new standard has included a provision for deciding on the applicability of

certain product realization processes included in section 7 of the standard. For example, if the SME has no responsibility for the design and development of the product it provides, the SME may say so, giving the reasoning behind it, in the Quality Manual; the certification body, being satisfied that this corresponds, would then award it certification to ISO 9001:2008. Similarly, other product realization processes such as purchasing, product identification and traceability, control of measuring devices may also be excluded if these are not applicable for the type of products or services being provided by the company.

It is also possible that SMEs may not have adequate in-house expertise or there may be other constraints to perform all processes on their own. In such cases, the new standard also permits the outsourcing of any of the QMS processes, providing the company has control over such processes. The nature of this control will depend on the nature of the outsourced or subcontracted processes and the risk involved. For example, the design and development process may be subcontracted to an expert or a specialized agency, inspection/verification of goods purchased may be subcontracted to an inspection agency, internal audit of QMS can be outsourced, etc. However, overall responsibility for ensuring control on all outsourced processes as per requirements of the standard would remain with the company’s management.


ISO 9001 Standards Software


ISO 9001 Standards Software

Companies that need quality management systems realize that products like ISO 9001 software are important tools to insure their product safety, consistency and profitability. UsingISO 9001 software can help guarantee that any company can monitor productivity, customer satisfaction and product quality with reports that contain solid information.

This information is now vital to management in order for maximum efficiency in any industry. This is why ISO 9001 software is vital to any sized company. Continuous improvement means continuous profitability. Here are just a few reasons why:

o Companies increase sales because of better performance, quality, and delivery. This propels you ahead of your competition.

o ISO 9001 software helps retain employees and attract more highly qualified employees because they are assured of a controlled and consistent work environment.

o The experience of a more professional workplace boosts employee morale.

o Reduced operating costs dramatically increase your company’s productivity, leading to higher profitability.

o Customer satisfaction and higher profitability expand your market share and demand for your consistently higher product quality.

o When you’re compliant or certified to the appropriate standard, the businesses that work with you know that quality objectives, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction are your goals.

Many companies require that their suppliers are ISO 9001 compliant; therefore, once you’re certified, your opportunities increase. ISO 9001 software has be utilized and has developed experience of helping manufacturing, service, and distribution organizations to be more efficient and more profitable through continuous improvement programs. We help you to implement the time-tested methods of continuous improvement to measure performance, analyze data, and apply the appropriate process changes. This includes using ISO 9001 software.

ISO 9001 software also offers a suite of modules to enable you to manage the document management and ISO 9001 Compliance Management process. These modules enable complete transparent system measurement with targeted action items ensuring all persons are notified of tasks and carry them out in a prompt and efficient manner. ISO 9001 software provides training in there software and also bring extensive experience in implementing the ISO 9001 software in various environments.

ISO 9001 Standards – Document Repository


ISO 9001 Standards - Document Repository

All QMS and product realization documents can be stored electronically within the computerize Document Management System like ISO 9001 Document Control Sytem. This provides a set of category and sub-category headings that enable users to drill down into
the different levels of the documentation category tree.
QMS documents are created and maintained within a top level category entitled “ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS)“. Documents in this category follow a 4-tier approach:
• Quality Manual – company scope and process interactions within the QMS
Quality Procedures – responsibilities, controls and activities within the QMS that effect customer service
• Records – objective evidence to demonstrate our goal in achieving customer satisfaction
• Forms & Reports to support the QMS processes
Product realization documents are stored in categories corresponding to Products, Projects and Departments. Each document is unique, but can be accessed from multiple categories.
Documents created within the FablessSemi Inc CogniDox system are assigned a unique identifier using the format “PO-NNNNNN-XX”; where the “PO” prefix identifies them as FablessSemi Inc documents, the “NNNNNN” is an automatically generated and uniquely assigned numerical ID, and the “XX” suffix indicates the document type.
All Fabless Semi Inc personnel are responsible for creating document part numbers and uploading documents to an appropriate category. Selected users with additional system privileges are responsible for creating and maintaining document categories.


ISO 9001:2008 Requirements – Resource Management


ISO 9001:2008 Requirements – Resource Management

6.1 Provision of Resources
Determine 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 requirements
6.2 Human Resources
6.2.1 General
Ensure 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 Awareness
The 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 Environment
Determine 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.

BACKGROUND TO THE ISO 9001:2008 REVISION PROCESS

BACKGROUND TO THE ISO 9001:2008 REVISION PROCESS

In order to assist organizations to have a full understanding of the new ISO 9001:2008, it may be useful to have an insight on the revision process, how this revision reflects the inputs received from users of the standard, and the consideration given to benefits and impacts during its development.

Prior to the commencement of a revision (or amendment)to a management system standard, ISO/Guide 72:2001 Guidelines for the justification and development of management system standards recommends that a Justification Study” is prepared to present a case for the proposed project and that it outlines details of the data and inputs used to support its arguments. In relation to the development of ISO 9001:2008 user needs were identified from the following:

- the results of a formal “Systematic Review on ISO 9001:2000 that was performed by the members of ISO/TC 176/SC2 during 2003-2004

- feedback from the ISO/TC 176/Working Group on Interpretations,

- the results of an extensive worldwide “User Feedback Survey on ISO 9001 and ISO 9004″ by ISO/TC 176/SC 2/WG 18 and similar national surveys.

The key focuses of the ISO 9001:2008 amendment were to enhance the clarity of ISO 9001:2000 and to enhance its compatibility with ISO 14001:2004.

A tool for assessing the impacts versus benefits for proposed changes was created to assist the drafters of the amendment in deciding which changes should be included, and to assist in the verification of drafts against the identified user needs. The following decision making principles were applied:1) No changes with high impact would be incorporated into the standard;

2) Changes with medium impact would only be incorporated when they provided a correspondingly medium or high benefit to users of the standard;

3) Even where a change was low impact, it had to be justified by the benefits it delivered to users, before being incorporated.

The changes incorporated in this ISO 9001:2008 edition were classified in terms of impact into the following categorie

- No changes or minimum changes on user documents, including records

- No changes or minimum changes to existing processes of the organization

- No additional training required or minimal training required

- No effects on current certifications

The benefits identified for the ISO 9001:2008 edition fall into the following categories:

- Provides clarity

- Increases compatibility with ISO 14001.- Maintains consistency with ISO 9000 family of standards.

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Improves translatability.