How do I convince our top management to adopt ISO 9001: 2015 for our quality management system (QMS)?

I think it’s not so much about trying to convince top management than getting them to consider the possible benefits of adopting the standard against the resource requirements and the work involved. As with most major business decisions, the organization would do well to look at things objectively and in an impartial manner.

 

In a previous blog entry, I wrote about what I think to be valid reasons for an organization to decide to get certified.¹ Should the organization be facing any of the three reasons I mentioned, it would make a lot of sense to adopt ISO 9001 and apply for certification in the shortest time possible. However, getting the organization to adopt ISO 9001 as the standard for its quality management system is in itself a major decision regardless whether the organization opts to get certified later on or not.

 

Clause 5 of the ISO standard requires commitment of the organization’s top management and makes them accountable towards the effective implementation of the QMS. On a personal note, I have also observed how the effectiveness of the QMS is largely proportional to the level of involvement of top management in the QMS processes. Given all the above, it is essential to get the buy-in of top management in supporting the QMS and, at the minimum, get their participation in QMS processes as required by the International Standard before embarking on the journey of aligning the existing QMS with ISO 9001.

 

The International Organization for Standardization released a publication² which enumerated some of the benefits of using ISO 9001 which I also mention below:

 

Improved assessment of the overall context of the organization

Clause 4 of the ISO 9001 standard follows the general framework of risk management and starts with the context of the organization. By knowing its context, the organization can determine what external and internal issues can affect its ability to achieve the goals of its QMS. Many organizations are already applying this when they use the PESTLE framework or SWOT analysis during strategic planning, but ISO 9001 formalizes the requirement to ensure that organizations are aware of the many issues that introduce risks and opportunities to the QMS.

 

Aid in meeting legal requirements

Clause 4 requires organizations to understand who their interested parties (i.e. stakeholders) are as well as the relevant needs and expectations of these parties. Identification and evaluation of legal requirements is not an explicit requirement in ISO 9001; however, government agencies and regulatory bodies are also part of the interested parties and can affect how the organization implements its QMS. As such, organizations can have a better understanding on the legal requirements and can have better implementation of processes to ensure legal compliance.

Enhanced identification and addressing of risks

Clause 6 proceeds from the identified external and internal issues that can significantly affect the QMS and requires organizations to plan for actions on how to address significant risks and opportunities. The standard has not provided specific examples of these actions, but highlights the risk-based approach that organization needs to have in order to better address their risks. In addition, ISO 9001 requires that the action plans become integrated in the QMS and their effectiveness evaluated. This helps to institutionalize effective actions while enhancing capabilities to address ineffective actions.

 

Customer focus

Enhancing customer satisfaction is not just for the customer relations personnel, but for the whole organization. ISO 9001 requires in Clause 5 that top management takes the lead in ensuring that requirements of customers and other interested parties are met, risks and opportunities that can affect conformity of products and services are addressed, and commitment to enhancing customer satisfaction is evident. Level of customer satisfaction is required to be monitored in Clause 9 and opportunities to address future needs and expectations is required to be determined in Clause 10.

 

Better process efficiency

Several requirements in the International Standard aid in improving process efficiency. First, having a process approach in the quality management system enables the organization to focus on its intended outcomes. For example, having a quality policy to serve as framework for quality objectives ensures alignment of processes to the main goals of the QMS. Second, applying operational controls as well as monitoring and measurement helps reduce nonconforming products and services by keeping processes within specific criteria. Third, resources needed for the proper provision of products and services need to be available and used by the QMS.

 

Expansion into new markets

Many customers include certification to ISO 9001 as part of its requirements before a supplier is included in its accredited vendor list. For example, the automotive industry requires suppliers to be certified to ISO 9001 as the minimum requirement prior to vendor accreditation. Organizations certified by a third party assessor can also make use of their certification as evidence that they are operating a world class QMS, making their QMS a competitive advantage over their competitors.

 

 

The person/s presenting the proposal to top management to adopt ISO 9001 will need to have at least a basic understanding of the requirements of the standard and how the standard can be used to improve the organization’s existing QMS. This becomes an important first step to getting top management support and their commitment to the effective implementation of the management system.

 

If you want to know more about the concerns of top management that may be stopping them from adopting ISO 9001 and some tips on how to address these concerns, read my two-part blog entry on the subject:

Why are some organizations hesitant to adopt ISO 9001: 2015 (Part 1 of 2)

https://askaconsultant.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-are-some-organizations-hesitant-in_3.html

 

For elearning courses on ISO management systems, I highly recommend the following website: https://courses.eddams.com/. They have free mini-courses that are very informative and also a good way to test the waters before registering in any of their paid courses. If you don't have budget for the paid elearning courses, they also occasionally offer coupons and freebies.

Notes

¹Do organizations need to have their management systems certified to ISO standards? https://askaconsultant.blogspot.com/2020/07/do-organizations-need-to-have-their.html?m=1

² International Organization for Standardization (2015). Reaping the benefits of ISO 9001. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/publication/PUB100369.html.