ISO 9001 - Lessons learned
Anyone who has been involved with ISO 9001 for some time will have learned much through the experience and there is no doubt that ISO 9001 has been used and misused in many ways since its inception. There are however still many misunderstandings about what it is and how it should be implemented.

The following are just a few of the more common misconceptions relating to the implementation and use of ISO 9001.

Frequent Misconceptions about ISO 9001

• ISO 9001 has frequently been regarded as something that sits outside the day to day business operation, whereas it should in fact provide the basic framework on which the whole business operates and improves.
  
• ISO 9001 has often been achieved by simply bringing existing processes into line with ISO 9001 requirements. Although this approach may well meet the basic requirements of ISO 9001, it will not necessarily help to improve performance. Given the clear requirement in ISO 9001 for "Continuous Improvement", it should not theoretically be possible to gain certification without effectively addressing this issue.
  
• It is not uncommon for staff who have not been directly involved in an ISO 9001 implementation to regard any new procedures introduced by virtue of the exercise as somehow separate from the normal operations. They may be referred to for example as the "Quality" or "ISO" procedures. This means they have misunderstood the motives for implementing a Quality Management System.
  
• The Management Reviews required by ISO 9001 are often seen as only being about the so-called "quality procedures" that may not have previously existed - e.g. Internal Audits, and Document Control procedures etc. The requirement is however for management to periodically review the functioning and effectiveness of the whole operation using the results from various measures, as well as ensuring that policies and objectives are still relevant.
  
• A common belief is that the management representative (e.g. the Quality Manager), is the person solely responsible for ISO 9001 and so-called "Quality". This misses the point; the Quality Management System, whether ISO 9001 based or not, should be everyone’s responsibility and this thinking needs to be embedded at an early stage.

If you want to just ask a question or two, or wish to discuss further how either ISO 9001 can help improve your business, then do call or email.

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Brian Mead, Business Improvement Services
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