Continual improvement draws together various aspects of the Quality Management System:
ISO 9001 requires continual improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS.
Continual improvement is driven by the objectives set by Top Management. As a minimum, quality objectives should address:
There is no requirement that the organization should set objectives for improvement of all its processes at any one time. It would be unrealistic to expect an organization to make progress in all potential improvements simultaneously.
Each improvement will require the commitment of resources, which should be prioritized by Top Management, especially if investment is required.
Inputs for improvement opportunities are obtained from the following sources:
Opportunities for improvement may also be identified on a special project basis. The following are examples of such projects:
It is not a mandatory requirement to document your continual improvement process. However, you should always look to adequately define and control any operational processes that stimulate the betterment of your quality management system.
Also - it is up to you to demonstrate continual improvement to the Auditors - therefore, the implementation of a:
is recommended for most businesses.
Develop and implement a procedure that defines the roles and responsibilities for:
Our Nonconformity & Corrective Action Procedure template is proven to work.
The effectiveness of the continual improvement process is often determined by looking for evidence that the organization has ensured that improvement objectives are consistent with the overall goal of enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing the level QMS performance.
Auditors will look for evidence that your organization is analyzing data from process monitoring, and is then taking the results forward for evaluating process efficiency and/or improving process output. One point that should be specifically examined is the consistency of the way in which the improvement of any one process contributes to meeting the overall objectives, so as to ensure that this will not conflict with the achievement of other objectives.
ISO 9001 Clauses - ACT
Updated: 1st September 2019
Author: Richard Keen
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