ISO 9001: Management of Quality or the Quality Management

Which does ISO 9001 emphasize more, the Management of Quality or the Quality of Management?

The majority of newbies who just become familiarizing themselves with ISO 9001 international standard ask the same question:
‘ISO 9001 – is a management system of what?’ 

Taking into account the following:

• the QMS requirements cover almost all elements of the enterprise management system;
• the requirements are worded based on analysis and synthesis of best international practices suitable for all;
• ISO 9001 is the core of the entire family of management systems standards;

we can give the answer to the question as: ISO 9001 is a system of quality of management.

So the following formula is valid: 'QMS = Quality of Management = Quality Business'
 

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A complete set of ISO 9001:2015 quality system procedures

ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management manual template

Risk Management for QMS and EMS

Can we merge Risk Management for QMS and EMS? 

If yes what is the common criteria? 

Integration of Risk Management for QMS and EMS is highly advisable. 

 A unified methodology does not confuse employees, makes the organization's management system more "slender", etc.

International standards ISO 31000: 2009 and ISO 31010: 2009 are the common criteria.

There are two possible approaches:

1. In full - risk management system is developed and implemented in accordance with ISO 31000:2009, as part of the organization's management system. A simple tried-and-tested option is to word Risk Management Manual in a single documented procedure. 
2. At minimum - risk management methodology is developed that is uniform for all systems. A set of methods suitable for the organization's tasks should be taken from ISO 31010:2009. An example of a simple risk management technique can be found in ISO 9001:2015 Actions to Address Risks and Opportunities Methodical Manual. 

Examples of risk management description in the system manuals can be found:

• ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Manual Template
• ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Manual Template

ISO 14001:2015 EMS Manual Template

CBG inc. launches new product - ISO 14001:2015 EMS Manual Template.


The proposed EMS Manual is written in sufficient detail. This allows you to use it to solve the following tasks:

• EMS Audits and certification. 
• Understanding EMS operation by senior management. Practice shows that EMS Manual often is the only source of knowledge about the EMS operation for certain categories of personnel, including senior management. 
• The organization may find it feasible to make the EMS Manual the only documented procedure. The proposed EMS Manual allows this. 
• The EMS manual can be provided to interested parties, including state environmental supervisory bodies, residents of the region, etc. to prove the effectiveness of the EMS of the organization. 
• Personnel training. 

EMS Manual Template is easily editable in MS Word and fully complies with the new version of international standard ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use.

Check our website for the detailed description of the EMS Manual Template or Download the preview of the template

Quality Objectives

QMS objectives will vary from Organization to Organization but are some of the more common objectives professionals see?

Do they scores on customer feedback surveys, lack of complaints measured over a financial year, etc.?


The top notch practice when wording the quality objectives – is using two methodologies:

1) QFD Analysis
Good results could be achieved from:

• Converting the ‘customer requirements’ body into a set of "engineering characteristics of products." As a result, we get a list of engineering characteristics of products, ranked according to the degree of satisfaction of customers' requirements. Next, quality goals are set, aimed at improving the engineering characteristics of products, which are on the first positions in the list. 
• Transforming ‘product defects’ list into a set of ‘technological operations’. As a result, we get a list of technological operations, ranked according to the degree of influence on the appearance of defects. Further, quality objectives are set, aimed at improving technological operations, where the defects occur most often (the first in the list). 

2) Developing the policy
This method is the basis for all standard management systems implementation.
We word some global objectives. The activities for them become the objectives for lower levels, etc.
In ISO 9001:2015 requirements, the chain is as follows:

Unfortunately, in practice, this is rarely used.

ISO 9001:2015 Quality Manual Template

Collection of ISO 9001:2015 documents, templates, and procedures

Organizational structure in ISO 9001:2015 Quality manual

Does ISO 9001:2015 require Quality Manual to contain brief information of the Organization? 

The structure of documented information as per ISO 9001: 2015 (cl 7.5.1) does not contain requirements to have a Quality Manual, as was the case with the ISO 9001: 2008 documentation structure.
Thus, Quality manual is not a mandatory QMS document.

The existence of Quality Manual is a decision of the organization in accordance with good practices.
This is attributable to:

• Feasibility of QMS operation description in general and linking the processes to solve organization's management tasks;
• Training objectives;
• Audit objectives; 
• Acquaintance of interested parties, including customers, with the QMS. 

If the organization makes a decision to have a Quality Manual, then:

1. The organizational structure should be given in section 5.3 of the document. 
2. It is advisable to provide brief information about the organization to the auditors and interested parties. This can be done in section 7.1.4. 

It is a good practice to also add elements of social responsibility, corporate traditions, etc to section 7.1.4.

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