Guidelines vs. Requirements – Providing Clarity ISO 9001 Lead Auditor training should enable auditors to focus on the requirements when auditing and to stay away from the pitfall of guidelines. Take the case of ISO 9001 or for that matter any standard. The standard has notes to explain the clauses. Clause 4.1 of ISO 9001 e.g. has 3 notes.  Are these notes integral to the clause? Yes a...

Why Quality matters in ensuring business continuity   ISO 9001 in clause 4.4.1 requires the organization to use a process-based quality management system for continual improvement. This continual improvement (CI) keeps the organization current and innovative. In today’s globally connected economy with fast developments, an organization which just maintains the status quo is do...

Quality Management systems when well implemented should enable organizations to thrive and not just survive. Thriving companies create satisfied customers by providing value through effective use of resources. Companies that do not have a quality management system will only enable it to make enough money to clear their debts. However, as the economy gets more competitive and interest rat...