Frequently Asked Questions on ISO 9001
7 principles of ISO 9001 are:
- Customer focus: Meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations is the central focus of ISO 9001.
- Leadership: Leaders at all levels of an organization should establish unity of purpose, direction, and internal communication to achieve the organization's objectives.
- Engagement of people: People at all levels of the organization should be involved in achieving the organization's objectives.
- Process approach: The effective and efficient achievement of organizational objectives is achieved by identifying, understanding, and managing interrelated processes as a system.
- Improvement: Continual improvement of the organization's overall performance is a permanent objective.
- Evidence-based decision making: Decision making should be based on the analysis and evaluation of data and information.
- Relationship management: An organization's overall performance can benefit from a mutually beneficial relationship with its suppliers and partners.
The PDCA cycle, or Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, is a continuous improvement model that organizations use to plan, implement, monitor, and continually improve their processes and products. It is a four-step iterative process that starts with identifying and analyzing the problem or opportunity for improvement in the planning phase, followed by implementation of the plan in the doing phase, monitoring and evaluating the results in the checking phase, and taking actions to improve processes or products in the acting phase. By following the PDCA cycle, organizations can improve their overall performance and achieve their objectives in a structured and efficient manner.
In addition to ISO 9001, there are several other quality management system (QMS) standards that organizations can use to improve their processes and products. ISO 14001 provides a framework for environmental management systems, ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management systems, and ISO 27001 for information security management systems. AS9100 provides a framework for quality management systems in the aerospace industry, and IATF 16949 provides a framework for quality management systems in the automotive industry. These standards help organizations to manage risks, improve their performance, and meet customer and regulatory requirements in their respective industries.
