Another Successful Certification
Last week saw yet another successful assessment for a client. One of our proud boasts is that our clients pass the assessment process, and at the first attempt. Fortunately the assessment, which covered three days, was a complete success with only three OFI's (Opportunity for Improvements).
Our unbroken record shows commitment to our 'Quality Matters in your Business' slogan.
The environmental management system is harder to get than ISO9001 and differs from the quality management standard in that continual improvement must be carried out.
There can be no sliding back. The assessor made the point fairly well: 'You have set the bar at this level and the only way you can progress is to improve on it'.
It is a well-known fact that many organisations insist on 9001 and 14001 as an entry qualification for tenders. This client already has 9001 and now has added 14001. These two qualifications will allow tendering for contracts to be far more successful.
This client can also reap the benefits of ISO14001 and the three R's:
Our unbroken record shows commitment to our 'Quality Matters in your Business' slogan.
The environmental management system is harder to get than ISO9001 and differs from the quality management standard in that continual improvement must be carried out.
There can be no sliding back. The assessor made the point fairly well: 'You have set the bar at this level and the only way you can progress is to improve on it'.
It is a well-known fact that many organisations insist on 9001 and 14001 as an entry qualification for tenders. This client already has 9001 and now has added 14001. These two qualifications will allow tendering for contracts to be far more successful.
This client can also reap the benefits of ISO14001 and the three R's:
- Repair - where possible, rather than scrap
- Re-use – if this is possible
- Recycle- ensure that waste is recycled
- Reduce – energy and resource usage
Labels: Environmental Management, iso14001
Posted: Tuesday, 31 August 2010
New Auditing Standard ISO 19011- A Preview
The latest version of the ISO19011 "Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems" is due to be published next year. Users of this standard will note that the title, which was "Guidelines of quality and/or environmental management systems auditing" now reflects the need to audit ALL management systems, and not just quality and environmental systems.
Providers of Internal Audit Courses have concentrated predominately on Quality and Environmental management systems, but it is becoming clear that 18001 (the Health and Safety Standard), ISO27001 (the Information Security Standard), ISO20001 (The IT Service Management Standard) plus the automotive Standard TS 16949 and the Aerospace Standard AS9100 and many others are featuring more and more. These need to be audited on a regular basis.
Our own internal auditing course will be updated to reflect these changes, once the standard is published.
The new auditing Standard focuses far more on RISK, including the risk of not carrying out audits correctly, either through inappropriately defined audit objectives, insufficient competence of auditors or inadequate risk evaluation methods.
Competence of auditors in the Standards being audited features in the new annex A to 19011 and details the discipline- specific knowledge and skills of auditors for:
Where sampling of systems takes place, e.g where it is not practical nor cost effective to examine 100% of the items, a representative sample of the population may be used to provide sufficient evidence that the sample is truly representative of the whole population. Annex C provides an informative strategy for auditors. This section also recognises that the "Auditor’s nose" can be used to choose a sample based on size, selection, methodology and previous experience. Where extensive sampling is required the Standard refers the reader to Sampling Plan Standards (e.g. ISO 2859)
And finally there is far more emphasis on the evaluation of auditors/team leaders to ensure competence, skills, knowledge and personal behaviour.
This update is well overdue as the original standard was produced in 2002 and we can look forward to its publication in 2011.
Providers of Internal Audit Courses have concentrated predominately on Quality and Environmental management systems, but it is becoming clear that 18001 (the Health and Safety Standard), ISO27001 (the Information Security Standard), ISO20001 (The IT Service Management Standard) plus the automotive Standard TS 16949 and the Aerospace Standard AS9100 and many others are featuring more and more. These need to be audited on a regular basis.
Our own internal auditing course will be updated to reflect these changes, once the standard is published.
The new auditing Standard focuses far more on RISK, including the risk of not carrying out audits correctly, either through inappropriately defined audit objectives, insufficient competence of auditors or inadequate risk evaluation methods.
Competence of auditors in the Standards being audited features in the new annex A to 19011 and details the discipline- specific knowledge and skills of auditors for:
- Quality
- Environmental
- Information Security
- Resilience, Security, Preparedness and Continuity (RSPC)
- Transportation Safety
Where sampling of systems takes place, e.g where it is not practical nor cost effective to examine 100% of the items, a representative sample of the population may be used to provide sufficient evidence that the sample is truly representative of the whole population. Annex C provides an informative strategy for auditors. This section also recognises that the "Auditor’s nose" can be used to choose a sample based on size, selection, methodology and previous experience. Where extensive sampling is required the Standard refers the reader to Sampling Plan Standards (e.g. ISO 2859)
And finally there is far more emphasis on the evaluation of auditors/team leaders to ensure competence, skills, knowledge and personal behaviour.
This update is well overdue as the original standard was produced in 2002 and we can look forward to its publication in 2011.
Labels: Environmental Management, iso 9011, quality management
Posted: Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Welcome Back to Gliding
At long last the weather has improved and I have been able to schedule my client visits to allow me to fly again.
My break had lasted since November last year and I wondered if I would remember exactly how it was done. My instructor looked at my log book and mentioned that it had been quite a while since my last flight, but he would allow me to do most of the flight routines while monitoring me closely.
The take-off was pretty uneventful and my instructor prompted me a few times to keep pressure on the stick in the climb and to remember to keep the wings level. At the top of the wire we were released and free. There were lots of thermals and with a fair amount of help we were at 5,000 feet. I was able to practice co-ordinated turns and keep to a given heading despite efforts of the winds to throw me off.
After 20 minutes I began to relax and my instructor said that it was improving, I just needed to fly the glider and adjust the trim rather than fight with the controls . It was becoming enjoyable again and with the height we had gained there was no panic to return to the airfield.
The flight was all too soon in the region of 50 minutes and it was time to return to the circuit to prepare for landing. I have always been apprehensive about landing as there is not so much a process as a judgement call to get it all right and in the right order. As a Management Consultant processes are second nature to me, judgement is a little harder.
I was downwind and my instructor asked me if I was happy with our position. One look at the runway told me that I was not in a good position, too close and running parallel to it. Clearly I was far too close. He made the downwind radio call, that I had forgotten, as I moved further out and made my diagonal turn; speed was good , height was good, my adrenaline level was high and I turned onto the final approach. What had I forgotten? "Air brakes perhaps" said the instructor just as I deployed them.
We were on a reasonable glide approach and needed just a little less airbrake, the ground was rushing up to meet us as I flared the glider and it just kissed the grass and then touched down. I was feeling rather pleased with myself when I was jolted back to reality, "keep the wings level, we don’t want to ground loop do we?", said my instructor as we slid gently to a halt.
The flight had lasted 56 minutes and as my instructor wrote some complimentary notes in my log book, I vowed not allow such a long break in future.
While we packed the aircraft away in the hanger I reflected on my flight and how my confidence had been restored. My sleepless night had been unjustified and with a little help from my instructors I will be back and hopefully going solo this year.
My break had lasted since November last year and I wondered if I would remember exactly how it was done. My instructor looked at my log book and mentioned that it had been quite a while since my last flight, but he would allow me to do most of the flight routines while monitoring me closely.
The take-off was pretty uneventful and my instructor prompted me a few times to keep pressure on the stick in the climb and to remember to keep the wings level. At the top of the wire we were released and free. There were lots of thermals and with a fair amount of help we were at 5,000 feet. I was able to practice co-ordinated turns and keep to a given heading despite efforts of the winds to throw me off.
After 20 minutes I began to relax and my instructor said that it was improving, I just needed to fly the glider and adjust the trim rather than fight with the controls . It was becoming enjoyable again and with the height we had gained there was no panic to return to the airfield.
The flight was all too soon in the region of 50 minutes and it was time to return to the circuit to prepare for landing. I have always been apprehensive about landing as there is not so much a process as a judgement call to get it all right and in the right order. As a Management Consultant processes are second nature to me, judgement is a little harder.
I was downwind and my instructor asked me if I was happy with our position. One look at the runway told me that I was not in a good position, too close and running parallel to it. Clearly I was far too close. He made the downwind radio call, that I had forgotten, as I moved further out and made my diagonal turn; speed was good , height was good, my adrenaline level was high and I turned onto the final approach. What had I forgotten? "Air brakes perhaps" said the instructor just as I deployed them.
We were on a reasonable glide approach and needed just a little less airbrake, the ground was rushing up to meet us as I flared the glider and it just kissed the grass and then touched down. I was feeling rather pleased with myself when I was jolted back to reality, "keep the wings level, we don’t want to ground loop do we?", said my instructor as we slid gently to a halt.
The flight had lasted 56 minutes and as my instructor wrote some complimentary notes in my log book, I vowed not allow such a long break in future.
While we packed the aircraft away in the hanger I reflected on my flight and how my confidence had been restored. My sleepless night had been unjustified and with a little help from my instructors I will be back and hopefully going solo this year.
Labels: Work Life Balance
Posted: Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Risk Assessments
I recently purchased my third Honda Civic Hybrid and I am very happy with it. My love affair with the Hybrid started in earnest when my first one saved my life in a head-on smash. The car was wrecked, especially once the Fire Service had cut off the roof, but I was unhurt. I went out and bought a second one straight away.
My most recent hybrid celebrated its second week by being shunted in the rear by a young man who was "fiddling with his phone"; he was most apologetic and fortunately he was insured. I suppose technically I should have called the Police as his actions could be seen as careless driving, but his attitude was remorseful and as he had passed his test only a month or two previously, I thought that he would have learned much more by having to explain to his parents and his Insurance Company.
This young man will have learned the hard way that full attention is required when driving and that a telephone call or text is never so urgent that it requires instant attention.
He will, in future, even if he doesn't realise it, carry out a risk assessment on his driving and in particular to his mobile.
My car is going to be repaired and I have the use of a hire car in the interim. It is mildly inconvenient, but no one was hurt and that is the main thing.
My most recent hybrid celebrated its second week by being shunted in the rear by a young man who was "fiddling with his phone"; he was most apologetic and fortunately he was insured. I suppose technically I should have called the Police as his actions could be seen as careless driving, but his attitude was remorseful and as he had passed his test only a month or two previously, I thought that he would have learned much more by having to explain to his parents and his Insurance Company.
This young man will have learned the hard way that full attention is required when driving and that a telephone call or text is never so urgent that it requires instant attention.
He will, in future, even if he doesn't realise it, carry out a risk assessment on his driving and in particular to his mobile.
My car is going to be repaired and I have the use of a hire car in the interim. It is mildly inconvenient, but no one was hurt and that is the main thing.
Labels: Risk assessments and OHSAS 18001
Posted: Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Document Control
I have used Microsoft Office is its various forms for many years and have found it to be very useful for documents, spreadsheets etc, and recently upgraded to the latest version 2010. I expected it to do all the things that the older versions did and was pleasantly surprised to see that Digital Rights Management, although in the 2007 version, now works well.
Let me explain what DRM (Digital Rights Management) does for me:
I particularly like the one page overview of properties which shows details of the author, date created, changes and last modified dates. These are all requirements for a good document control or document configuration management systems used in the Management Standards, including the Aerospace and automotive standards.
The other elements include the revised PowerPoint, Publisher, One Note, Infopath, Visio, Project and others.
In short, I like the newest of the Microsoft Office packages.
Let me explain what DRM (Digital Rights Management) does for me:
- It allows me to control who can read, write and change documents I have produced;
- It allows me to stop my document being printed by someone else;
- It allows me to stop my documents being copied or 'cut and pasted';
- It allows me to encrypt a document or to require a password to open the piece.
I particularly like the one page overview of properties which shows details of the author, date created, changes and last modified dates. These are all requirements for a good document control or document configuration management systems used in the Management Standards, including the Aerospace and automotive standards.
The other elements include the revised PowerPoint, Publisher, One Note, Infopath, Visio, Project and others.
In short, I like the newest of the Microsoft Office packages.
Labels: 14001, 27001, iso9001, TS 16949 AS9100
Posted: Tuesday, 22 June 2010
What is an Internal Audit?
I am often asked this question and I always use the shorthand answer "A check to see that you do what you say". This sounds simple, and so it is, if carried out correctly.
The first requirement is that the person(s) carrying out the audit actually know what they are doing. The various standards specify that persons carrying out audits must have received training are competent to do so. This normally requires attendance at a recognised course of training which is based on the quality/environmental standard ISO19011:2002. Our own course fills this requirement and is normally held twice a year in Spring and Autumn.
The routine of the audit starts with notification to your organisation that an audit is to be carried out and on what date. It makes good sense to give at least a months notice to ensure the people you need to audit are available.
The first part of the audit is to carry out a document review to see if the quality/environmental manual exists and covers the requirements of the standards. Once this is successful you can then concentrate on the company processes.
The audit proper starts with an opening meeting where you can prepare the organisation for the audit and explain how this is going to proceed. It is an essential part of the audit and sets the scene for the work.
An audit checklist helps to keep the auditor on track and prevents things being missed.
The audit of the organisation processes looks at the process and compares it with the actual work being carried out. They should be the same. Look for evidence that this is so.
Any non-conformities should be recorded and any actions proposed by the auditee.
Non-conformities are classified as Major or Minor; Major nonconformity is one where a whole part or a significant part of a process is missing or not being followed. Minor nonconformities occur where someone has slipped up or something which is usually compliant has been missed.
Once the process audit has been completed a closing meeting is held to discuss the findings of the audit.
And finally an audit report is produced.
Sound straight forward, but I am constantly amazed at the standard of auditing, particularly by untrained auditors, who usually have no idea that the effort they have expended has little or no value.
Answer: Train the auditor and get the auditor to carry out frequent audits to hone their skills.
........................................Simples (as the advert says).
The first requirement is that the person(s) carrying out the audit actually know what they are doing. The various standards specify that persons carrying out audits must have received training are competent to do so. This normally requires attendance at a recognised course of training which is based on the quality/environmental standard ISO19011:2002. Our own course fills this requirement and is normally held twice a year in Spring and Autumn.
The routine of the audit starts with notification to your organisation that an audit is to be carried out and on what date. It makes good sense to give at least a months notice to ensure the people you need to audit are available.
The first part of the audit is to carry out a document review to see if the quality/environmental manual exists and covers the requirements of the standards. Once this is successful you can then concentrate on the company processes.
The audit proper starts with an opening meeting where you can prepare the organisation for the audit and explain how this is going to proceed. It is an essential part of the audit and sets the scene for the work.
An audit checklist helps to keep the auditor on track and prevents things being missed.
The audit of the organisation processes looks at the process and compares it with the actual work being carried out. They should be the same. Look for evidence that this is so.
Any non-conformities should be recorded and any actions proposed by the auditee.
Non-conformities are classified as Major or Minor; Major nonconformity is one where a whole part or a significant part of a process is missing or not being followed. Minor nonconformities occur where someone has slipped up or something which is usually compliant has been missed.
Once the process audit has been completed a closing meeting is held to discuss the findings of the audit.
And finally an audit report is produced.
Sound straight forward, but I am constantly amazed at the standard of auditing, particularly by untrained auditors, who usually have no idea that the effort they have expended has little or no value.
Answer: Train the auditor and get the auditor to carry out frequent audits to hone their skills.
........................................Simples (as the advert says).
Labels: Internal Audit training help
Posted: Thursday, 10 June 2010
How can you get certificated to ISO9001?
There are a number of steps required to ensure a successful certification to ISO9001 and probably the best way is to get some help from someone who has done it before. This way you do not have to reinvent the wheel.
Step one is to purchase a copy of the Standard; this sets out the framework for you to follow.
Step two is to see what you have in place already and check that it compares favourably with the Standard.
It is likely that you have some systems in place and these may just need some tweaking to make them fit the quality model.
Step three is to produce a quality manual; the manual is usually in three parts:
Step four is to make it all happen and adjust the processes as necessary.
Step five is to carry out an internal audit to check that everything is as it should be
Step six is to get an Accredited Certification Body to assess your system.
Step seven is where you can take a bow, as this is the award of your certificate of compliance to ISO9001.
If you need help, we can give you as much or as little as you need.
Step one is to purchase a copy of the Standard; this sets out the framework for you to follow.
Step two is to see what you have in place already and check that it compares favourably with the Standard.
It is likely that you have some systems in place and these may just need some tweaking to make them fit the quality model.
Step three is to produce a quality manual; the manual is usually in three parts:
- A policy manual, which reflects the iSO 9001 standard;
- A procedures section which shows the 6 mandatory procedures
- Document control
- Control of Records
- Internal audit
- Control of non-conforming product/service
- Corrective action
- Preventive action
- A process section which shows all the processes within your organisation having an impact on quality. Note finance is normally excluded.
Step four is to make it all happen and adjust the processes as necessary.
Step five is to carry out an internal audit to check that everything is as it should be
Step six is to get an Accredited Certification Body to assess your system.
Step seven is where you can take a bow, as this is the award of your certificate of compliance to ISO9001.
If you need help, we can give you as much or as little as you need.
Posted: Friday, 21 May 2010
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