ISO 9000:2000 - business as usual--or a real challenge?

摘要

British management consultants David Hoyle and John Thompson assert that the publication of the ISO 9000:2000 series provides organizations with the means to move from conforming to performing. The focus should no longer be on documenting procedures to demonstrate that they conform to ISO 9000 requirements in order to receive "the badge", but on building performing processes that produce business benefits.As the authors put it, "If we change the way we think about quality, we will imagine that U is not about following procedures, inspection, rules and regulations. It is about establishing the needs and expectations of those we choose to serve, setting goals for satisfying these needs, devising a system of processes to fulfil these goals, measuring performance and continually improving capability to satisfy the needs of all interested parties."They argue that adopting a minimalist approach in which ISO 9000 is perceived merely as a means to ensure product quality requirements will lead to lost opportunities to add value to the organization. For the authors, the ISO 9000:2000 series provides the basis for a management system - not merely a quality management system - which is the means for an organization to fulfil its purpose and mission.Rather than seeing the eight Quality Management Principles underlying the new standards as "nice, but not essential", David Hoyle and John Thompson place them in centre stage as "the key to successful implementation of the ISO 9000:2000 series".The authors point out that the new standards imply big changes for both internal and external auditing. Internal auditing will no longer be a police-type action. "Internal auditing has a real opportunity to become the improvement tool that it was intended to be and to add real value to the organization."As far as external auditing is concerned, the certification bodies will need to demonstrate increased competence. They can no longer be satisfied with raising nonconformities against the standardized requirements, but need to delve deeper and examine whether the output of the system is meeting business objectives. Or, the authors conclude, will the certification bodies maintain a minimalist approach to retain clients who do not have the robustness to embrace change and seek continual improvement? That is the really big question!