Business success with ISO 9001
Q: If an organization wants to implement ISO 9001 for the first time, what is the first step?
A: Use the organization’s purpose as a starting point. Too often, organizations try to appease or conquer requirements as if the end-goal is to satisfy those requirements. Not staying true to the organization’s primary purpose (for example, to make money through the product or service offered or to effectively use the available resources to promote educational excellence) means the organization may create a competition between the requirements, such as those in ISO 9001, and its organizational purpose. Using who you are as a business as the reference point for implementing requirements will help the organization stay focused on what is important without
getting lost in the euphoria of becoming certified to ISO 9001.
Q: How do you determine what is necessary for a business to continue to be successful in the future? How can ISO 9001:2015 be helpful in doing this?
A: Start by considering what it takes to function as a business (organization) to make money or receive funding today. After you understand this, you can evaluate the true cost of sustaining this. While some costs are obvious, such as facilities, materials and labor to produce your product or service, don’t forget about less-frequent expenses, such as maintenance costs, licenses or certifications required to do business, and any other costs related to sustaining the organization. Often, organizations don’t account for these costs because they are less likely to
get caught by a regulatory body. This isn’t a sustainable business practice, however, because when it comes time to pay for one of these expenses, the money needed hasn’t been accounted for in the budget or pricing structure. After you have accounted for everything to run your business, think in terms of planning to succeed. Risk-based thinking, management review and data analysis are great for this because they are intended to help you assess actions
already taken to determine whether further action is needed. In essence, the organization is either already suitably established, adequately addresses all requirements, and is effectively driving behavior, or it has the information and action plan to get there.
Q: How should an organization approach ISO 9001:2015 to make it work for its business?
A: Look at the standard through the eyes of the business instead of trying to make the business fit the standard. In other words, many organizations usually take the standard and go through it clause by clause. To see the standard from a business perspective, lay out the organization as it functions, and plug in the standard’s clauses where they apply to the organization. This may mean a clause is accounted for in more than one place in the documented system. That is actually a good thing because you are dealing with the organization’s reality instead of simply
appeasing the standard.
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